Dominica introduces universal secondary education

by Paul Charles
Caribbean Net News Dominica Correspondent

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica on Monday introduced its first-ever universal secondary education system as close to 20 high schools opened their doors for the start of the 2005-6 school year. 

In the past seven years, some towns here have been offering secondary school places to their students who have passed the common entrance examinations, the requirement for high school. 
 

On Monday, the Ministry of Education made the disclosure, giving the assurance to 1,600 students who wrote the examinations in May, 2005. In the past, several hundreds could not find places due to inadequate classrooms and furniture.

“For the first time all students who wrote the common entrance have gained access to secondary education all over the island,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Jennifer Lafond announced. 

Lafond said the construction of new classrooms at several of the island’s secondary schools secured the ministry’s goal of accommodating all post-primary education students. 

“Every child at that age has a right to secondary education and that is what we have achieved now,” Lafond said.

Education experts here criticised the decision as making a bad situation worse, pointing to a large number of students who fail to achieve the required standards at secondary schools. 

Lafond said the system would go ahead while a constant review is being undertaken to remedy the situation of dropouts and semi-literacy at that level. 

“There are teething things that will come up along the way but they will be sorted out and they will be solved so that each student will get to maximise the opportunity that they now have,” Lafond said. 

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said his administration believes the survival of the island hinged on the success of its education system.

“As a people we have to work towards addressing these challenges rather than looking at them as hindrances. The only way Dominica will survive is by pacing serious attention on its education system,” he said. 

The former Education Minister said the advent of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) also contributed to the heightened state of preparedness in education. 

“In this globalised world when people will be coming to Dominica freely to apply for jobs, we have to make sure that the Dominican people are educated and skilled to take on the market place,” he said.

The Dominican leader said his next goal is to have one university graduate in every Dominican home. 

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