Education in the Bahamas

Education in the Bahamas is compulsory between ages 5 and 16 and still based on the British

system in many ways

(Education System in

Bahamas). At the age of

11 to 17 students attends

schools known as

secondary schools. These

are usually functionally independent, but they can be merged with primary schools on the

smaller family islands where practical economics dictate this (Education System in Bahamas).

The Bahamas boasts an adult literacy rate of more than 95 per cent and an English speaking

population of more than 300,000 (Baker, M.)

In 2007 the government launched a vocational training project known as vocational education

(Education System in Bahamas). There are also several tertiary education opportunities available

in the Bahamas (Education System in Bahamas).

The government in the Bahamas has been trying to improve the educational system since the

1960s. Government expenditures on education rose from 10.7 percent of total government

expenditures in 1955 to a high of 25 percent in 1974 but declined to 17.4 percent in 1984

(Education). The College of the Bahamas opened its doors in 1974; the government-owned

institution offered a two- or three-year program leading to an associate degree in one of six

academic divisions. In the spring of 1986, the college reported an enrollment of 1,834. The

college offered programs in conjunction with the University of Miami. In addition, since the

1960s the Bahamas also had been associated directly with the University of the West Indies
(UWI), which, with its three campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, served

much of the English-speaking Caribbean (Education). The College of The Bahamas, established

in Nassau in 1974, provides programs leading to bachelors and associate’s degrees. The college

is now converting from a 2-year to a 4-year institution. Several non-Bahamian colleges also offer

higher education programs in The Bahamas (Baker, M.).

According to the government of the Bahamas 24

per cent of the National Budget is allocated to

education (Baker, M). About 158 of the 210 primary

schools are fully operated by the government while

the other 52 schools in the Bahamas are privately

operated (Baker, M.). School attendance is

compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 (Baker, M.).

Baker, M. (n.d.). Education in the Bahamas: Legions of Smart Kids Having Their Minds

Shackled. Retrieved November 13, 2019, from

https://www.thebahamasguide.com/facts/education/.

Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2019, from http://countrystudies.us/caribbean-

islands/119.htm.

Education System in Bahamas. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2019, from

https://www.scholaro.com/pro/Countries/Bahamas/Education-System.