Education in Cayman
Education in the Cayman Islands: More than Formal Education
Bertranne Abrams-Menko
University College of the Cayman Islands
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Education in Cayman
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Education in the Cayman Islands: More than Formal Education
The Cayman Islands has over a hundred years of formal education and millions of dollars
have been spent by successive governments on improving the education system, still not all our
children can read and many are leaving school without basic skills.
This paper will define education and how it relates to schooling and learning. It will
discuss the three types of education; briefly outline the history of formal education in the
Cayman Islands and the present challenges facing the country’s education system. It will then
present stories of informal and non-formal education as it happened in the past here in Cayman,
and show the benefits and characteristics of these forms of education.
The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the importance and potential of
education, learning and training that takes place outside recognized educational institutions and
to put forward that a greater balance in educational practice and funding could help to create a
more rounded and effective education system.
What is Education?
Education, as defined on Dictionary.com (2006) is “the act or process of imparting or
acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally
of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.”
Within the framework of The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)
(1997), education is taken “to comprise all deliberate and systematic activities designed to meet
learning needs…education is understood to involve organized and sustained communication
designed to bring about learning” (p. 4). The key words here says the ISCED, are communication
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(a relationship between two or more persons involving the transfer of information), learning (any
improvement in behaviour, information, knowledge, understanding, attitude, values or skill),
organized (planned in a pattern or sequence with explicit or implicit aims). It involves a
providing agency which sets up the learning environment and a method of teaching through
which the communication is organized.
Based on these definitions, the aim of education is preparation for mature life or to meet
learning needs. Education is that which brings about learning.
Are Education and Schooling the Same?
In the past, education – the act of acquiring or imparting knowledge – primarily happened
in the home, in the church or in the wider community. This system whereby people learn through
formal schooling is relatively recent beginning some four-hundred years ago. Over time
however, the role of school and education has become inextricably linked and for most now;
laymen, educators, policy makers and society in general; education is schooling and is perceived
as being of greater value than any learning that takes place outside of school. The association
between education and learning outside of school is weak and society is less likely to regard such
learning as ‘real-education’. Learning that takes place outside of the school system – within the
home, community, peers, church, media, workplace, libraries, learning by doing, by observing,
by reading, by reflecting, learning in real life situations - tends not to be noticed by the
mainstream and to a large extent remains intangible and invisible. At best, it is generally given
only passing acknowledgement by key stakeholders in education.
The concept of ‘education’ then has become almost synonymous with ‘schooling’ and, as
Torres (2001) pointed out,
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education reform generally refers to school reform and education policy refers to policy
addressed to the school system…The reduction of education to school education is so
strong that even the official world commitment to an ‘expanded vision of basic
education’ agreed upon at the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, in
1990, was generally understood and translated as primary education (p. 2).
Some argue strongly however against the prevailing notion that couples education with
schooling. In the 1970s Ivan Illich called for the disestablishment of schools, he claimed that
“schooling confuses teaching with learning, grades with education, diplomas with competence,
attendance with attainment and, especially, process with substance” (as cited in Wikipedia, 2007,
Compulsory Education, Criticism, para. 3).
Also, Coffield argued that “(learning outside of school) should no longer be regarded as
an inferior form of learning whose main purpose is to act as the precursor of (learning within
school); it needs to be seen as fundamental, necessary and valuable in its own right” (as cited in
The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education, Informal Learning, para. 1)
In his book “The weightless Society”, Leadbeater (2000) said that the point of education
should be to develop capabilities, the most important of which is “the ability and yearning to
carry on learning”. However, he argues, “…too much schooling kills off a desire to learn….more
learning needs to be done at home, in offices and kitchens, in the contexts where knowledge is
deployed to solve problems and add value to people’s lives” (as cited in The Encyclopaedia of
Informal Education, Informal Learning, para. 2)
Much of this type of debate, Rogers (2004) pointed out, began to arise in the late 60s as a
reaction to the widespread feeling that schooling or formal education as a means of learning was
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failing. Coming out of this education reform movement was the concept of non-formal education
and increased interest in and classification of informal education.
Three Types of Education
Since the 1970s the ISCED has differentiated these three types of education: formal, nonformal and informal. However, these three concepts should not so much be seen as separate
entities but rather as ranges along a continuum of learning shading gradually into one another.
Formal education as described by Coombs (1973) is the highly institutionalized,
chronologically graded and hierarchically structured ‘education system’, spanning primary
school to university (as cited in Etllng, 1993), and leading to some sort of formal recognition
such as grades, diplomas or certificates.
Simkins (1977) listed the characteristics of formal education as long-term, general,
credential based, full-time, standardized, input centred, academic, institution-based, isolated
from the environment, rigidly structured, teacher-centred, resource intensive, externally
controlled and hierarchical (as cited in The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education, Non-formal
Education, 1996).
In contrast to formal education, Simkins listed the characteristics of non-formal education
as short-term, specific, non-credential based, part-time, individualized, output centred, practical,
environment based, community related, flexible, learner-centred, resource saving, self-governing
and democratic. Non-formal education, like formal education is organized and intended to serve
identifiable learners and learning objectives but is generally carried on outside the framework of
the formal system.
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Informal education is defined as learning resulting from daily life activities related to
work, family or leisure, as such there is no prescribed or specific location where learning takes
place. It is not structured in terms of learning objectives, curriculum, learning time and or
learning support and typically it does not lead to certification. Informal learning may be
intentional but in most cases, it is non-intentional, incidental or random.
In his 2004 article “Looking Again at Non-formal and Informal Education – Towards a
New Paradigm”, Rogers described the difference between these three concepts this way:
When we control (learning) and individualise it, learn what we want for as long as we
want and stop when we want, we are engaging in informal education. When we step into
a pre-existing learning programme but mould it to our own circumstances, we are
engaged in non-formal education. When we surrender our autonomy and join a
programme and accept its externally imposed discipline, we are immersed in formal
education (Towards a new paradigm, para. 7).
The History of Formal Education in the Cayman Islands
The Development of Primary Education: 1841-1950
In the mid to late 1800s primary schools were established in Grand Cayman by the
Wesleyan Synod (1841), the Presbyterian Synod (1862) and by the Baptist Missionaries in
Cayman Brac (1885). Schools were also started by individuals such as Mr. John Jarrett Wood
and Mr. Johnston. Mr. Wood established a fee paying school in Bodden Town (1846) after
becoming Cayman’s first trained teacher (having been trained in Jamaica by the London
Missionary Society and at Mico Normal College). It is recorded in “A History of the Department
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of Education in the Cayman Islands” (1981) that by 1851 Wood had ninety-five students; thirtyfive of whom could read.
Mr. Johnston on the other hand was a shipwrecked mariner who started a school in
Cayman Brac in 1863.
The schools established by churches and individuals during this time seemed to have
been plagued mostly by a shortage of supplies, difficulties collecting fees and low attendance.
Government involvement was limited to very small grants given to the privately run church
schools which ranged from £3-£5 per year. None the less, by the end of the century there were
private schools in George Town, West Bay, Bodden Town and East End.
In August 1887, the then Governor of Jamaica sent Mr. Laurence Fyfe, a senior Jamaican
official, to examine the Islands’ administration. In his book, “Founded upon the Seas: A History
of the Cayman Islands and their People”, Craton (2003) recorded that:
Fyfe was pleased with the level of literacy attained with such limited resources…He
deplored the lack of facilities and cash that kept so many children away from school and
limited the education of those who did attend. He recommended that more public funds
be spent on schools and that the Jamaica school system be adopted in Cayman.
Presumably this meant the inclusion of more free places for needy pupils, standardised
grades, syllabuses, and examinations, and regular visits from inspectors (p. 242).
It was not until the 1920 Education Act that a more developed system of compulsory
education under government supervision was established throughout the Islands. Education was
made compulsory for children ages seven to fourteen and although fees were still required, the
government’s expenditure on schools was considerably higher than it had been in the past. The
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Act allowed for the continuation of private schools but the government was now completely
responsible for ensuring that there were enough schools for all school aged children.
By 1921 there were eleven public schools and six registered private schools in the
Cayman Islands. Two years later, “some 80 per cent of all eligible children in the Cayman
Islands were now being educated” (Craton, 2003, p. 249).
In 1950, the Board appointed a Caymanian, Mr. C.A. Hunter as the Islands’ first Chief
Education Officer (then called Supervisory Teacher). Hunter, who had studied school
management in Jamaica, made many improvements in the schools, yet the “results in the
Jamaican Local Examinations (the only external examinations held in the government schools)
deteriorated to a level unacceptable to the government and the public alike” (Craton, 2003, p.
386)
The Development of Secondary Education: 1941-1979
As with formal primary school education, formal schooling at the secondary level began
with the church. Secondary schools were established first by the Church of God in 1941 (Triple
C School) and then by the Presbyterian Church in 1949 (Cayman High School).
From 1959 – 1980 there were several major changes made in the education system. In
1959 a five-year plan developed by Charles Hunter adjusted school age down from seven to five
making primary education compulsory for age five to twelve. The plan also called for the
creation of a British oriented three-tiered education system offering infant schools (5-7 years)
with trained teachers, junior schools (8-12 years) and a bipartite secondary system (12-16 years).
The bipartite system of secondary education introduced in 1964, streamed children according to
academic ability based on an 11+ exam. This system caused confusion, demoralisation and
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considerable expense (Craton, 2003). Another attempt was made to modify this dual system of
secondary education with the establishment of a British-style 11+ Common Entrance
Examination, but that too did not work well as not very many of the eligible children even sat the
exam. A few years later in 1970, streaming and 11+ exams were abolished in favour of the
comprehensive system of education and the two streams of secondary schools were combined
and opened to all children over 12 years of age. Again however there were problems as teachers
found it difficult to cope with students of varying levels of ability and with the sudden rise in
enrolment (Craton, 2003).
The new Education Act passed in 1968 extended the age of compulsory education up
from twelve to fifteen. A government secondary school opened in Cayman Brac in 1967 which
meant that students leaving primary school did not have to travel to Grand Cayman to continue
their education. The age of compulsory schooling was adjusted again in 1979 to cover children
from four years, nine months to sixteen years.
The Beginnings of Tertiary Education in the 1970s
By the end of the 60s, formal education in the Cayman Islands had come a long way and
tertiary education was made available on Island with the opening of the International College of
the Cayman Islands in 1970 and then later the Community College in 1976. In 2004 the
Community College was awarded university status and renamed the University College of the
Cayman Islands.
A Cause for Concern
Despite increased formalisation of the education system and increasing amounts of
money spent on education, statistics show that there is real cause for concern in terms of the test
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results many of the country’s students achieve after years of schooling. In the 1950s the
Government spent around £17,000 or 9% of its budget on Education. In the late 1950s the results
in the Jamaican Local Examinations were reported as unacceptable. By 1982 Government
expenditure on education had increased to $6.23 million or 15% of its budget on Education. In
1995 “data output from the Terra Nova testing of George Hicks High School showed that by
grade nine, 54% of the students were considered ‘at risk’ with their reading skills” (Caymanian
Compass, 2006, May 9). In 2006 the Government committed $119.26 million or 24% of its
budget in recurrent and capital expenditure to education (Caymanian Compass, 2006, July 12).
The Government was now spending approximately $6,000 a year to educate one student. In 2006
“only 30% of the 241 John Gray (High School) year 12 students writing external examinations
reached the internationally-recognized standard of five top-level marks” (Caymanian Compass,
2007, October 1).
Concerns about the education product and urgent calls for educational reform have also
been expressed by members of the business community. At a National Education Conference
held in September 2005, Mr. Conor O’Dea, Managing Director of Butterfield Bank discussed the
shortage of both technical and vocational skills in the labour pool. He also noted that:
Presently, the educational achievement level of most school leavers is inadequate for the
needs of business…we urgently need the education system to produce more productive
young adults for the benefit of the community at large….we need to unlock and further
develop this talent and creativity not only in the educational environment but in the work
place (National Consensus on the Future of Education in the Cayman Islands, 2005, pp.
7-8).
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These sentiments were echoed by Chamber President Angelyn Hernandez at the
September 2007 Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, where she was quoted as
saying “There is only so much training that an employer can provide. Our students must enter the
workforce with a command of basic skills, or else companies will have no choice but to look
outside the local population for employees” (Caymanian Compass, 2007, October 1).
According to its mission statement, the Ministry of Education seeks in partnership with
stakeholders in education,
to provide all students with opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge, attitude and
values to prepare them to be successful and productive lifelong learners and citizens in an
ever changing global society, through a broad, relevant and balanced national curriculum
(A New Curriculum for Schools in the Cayman Islands, 2007, p. 2).
It seems however, that despite the numerous positive aspects of the education system in
Cayman and the many changes made over the years, the system still faces major challenges and,
in the words of Minister of Education Alden McLaughlin, “far too many (students are) leaving
school with little to show and with few hopes of meaningful career prospects” (Caymanian
Compass, 2005, October 12), “the system that we currently have, while it has considerable
strengths, has increasingly failed those who do not succeed in a standard classroom
environment” (Caymanian Compass, 2007, October 1).
Education System Reviews: 1990-2007
Clearly the reasons for the expressed failures of the education system are varied and
complex spanning social, cultural, economic and political issues. It is also evident that much
time, thought and resources have been put into addressing these complex issues.
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In the last seventeen years, between 1990 and 2007 there have been no less than three
major reviews of the Islands’ education system in addition to several other less comprehensive
reviews. The first major review was in 1990 when the then Government commissioned a
qualitative review of the performance of the Education System. “Intensive discussions were held
at every level of the political directorate, the private sector and professional associations. Most
importantly, parents and students were fully consulted. Visits were made to public and private
schools” (Education For All in the Caribbean: Assessment 2000 Cayman Islands, An Overview
of Education Reform in the Cayman Islands – 1990 to present, para. 3). Some of the
recommendations from this review called for centres for pre-school education to be widely
available in the communities and separate from primary schools. Further education would be
provided through the Cayman Islands Community College, work experience, apprenticeships and
linkages with international tertiary education systems. A national curriculum was also to be
devised.
It was felt that the reform of the curriculum would greatly increase the relevance of
learning for students and provide a new approach to evaluation in order to build upon
achievement and reward a much wider range of performance in schools (Education For
All in the Caribbean: Assessment 2000 Cayman Islands, An Overview of Education
Reform in the Cayman Islands – 1990 to present, para. 7)
In 1994 however, a newly elected Government decided that the 1991 plan was inadequate and
called for the creation of a more detailed plan. Again, “the process began with widespread
public consultation and a thirty-five member planning team was selected….they created the
framework for a five-year National Education Development plan” (Education For All in the
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Caribbean: Assessment 2000 Cayman Islands, An Overview of Education Reform in the
Cayman Islands – 1990 to present, para. 11)
This plan highlighted nine strategic areas: the national curriculum, development of
personal education plans, individual and school accountability, strengthening relationships,
social problems, developing the moral and social character of each student, development of staff,
and capitalization on necessary facilities. Out of this plan came, among other things, the
establishment of the Schools Inspectorate and work on creating a National Curriculum began in
1997.
In September 2005 the present Government undertook what it referred to as “the most
comprehensive (education review) project to date by asking the entire Cayman community to
contribute their views on the current education system and to suggest ways to improve it”
(National Consensus on the Future of Education in the Cayman Islands, 2005, p. 10).
This project began with a two-day National Education Conference that included
representatives from all government, private and pre-schools school, students, recent graduates,
parents and the private sector. In addition, views of members of the public were garnered
through a wide ranging campaign co-ordinated by the Government Information Services and
supported by the media.
From this process, ten strategies emerged. The strategies were: The development of an
administrative framework for a new education service, the establishment of a task force to
oversee the review and revision of the Cayman Islands’ National Curriculum, the development of
an Early Years unit to oversee day-care centres, pre-schools and reception programmes, the
establishment of a human resources unit within the Ministry, the development of a unit with
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responsibility for careers education and guidance, a review of core business processes within the
education service, improvements in the availability and use of educational statistics, the
development of technical and vocational education and training programmes at all levels, the
development of a strategic plan for the maintenance and further development of educational
facilities and the development of high quality teacher training and continuing professional
development opportunities for teachers.
What is striking about these reviews is that for the most part and with few exceptions,
they cover the same issues with the same people and tend to come up with the same solutions in
different words. Is there something that has not been adequately looked at over the years that
might truly present not just a paradigm shift but a new paradigm? If as has been argued above,
most stakeholders in education pay scant regard to the importance and potential of education that
takes place outside recognized educational institutions, could a more careful look at what
happens outside the formal system provide valuable insight into creating a more productive and
balanced system?
A History of Informal and Non-formal Education in the Cayman Islands
The documented history of the Cayman Islands tells many stories of people’s experiences
with informal and non-formal education though it never refers to it as such and these stories and
accounts are not included in any official accounts of the history of education in the Cayman
Islands. Notably, Craton (2003) tells many of these stories in his book “Founded upon the Seas”,
but they are not mentioned under the banner of education.
In the past, there was no formal schooling offered for industries and occupations such as
farming, fishing, shipbuilding, seafaring, turtling, thatch rope making, carpentry or sewing. Yet
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these skills were learnt and the large majority of the population was engaged in these industries
and occupations which sustained the country’s economy well into the twentieth century.
Farming and fishing were learnt simply by being a part of a farming family and by virtue
of living in close proximity to the sea. As recorded in Craton (2003), “It took the efforts of the
whole family to raise enough food and to produce, where possible, a small surplus to barter or
carry to market. The sea was a vital source of food. Men usually did the fishing, assisted by their
sons as soon as they were old enough” (p. 207), “and since all settlements were on the sea, the
boys learned to be expert fishermen at an early age” (p. 198).
Carpentry was also a skill passed on to children. In her book “Under Tin Roofs: Cayman in the
1920s”, Booker (1993) recorded that in those days most of the furniture was made on the Islands.
Furniture was made from mahogany or other local woods. Children learnt carpentry by watching
and by doing and from a young age many boys could make simple wooden structures.
When interviewed by the Cayman National Archives in 2000, Charles Henning (born
1923) tells of elaborate wooden two-foot long, toy boats that he and his friends would make at a
very early age. He described boats complete with keel, mast, sail and a small cabin. As a young
boy he was also making most of the screens for his mother’s house and made the boat shed in
which they kept the real boat.
One very important skill passed on informally was that of rope making. Rope made from
the leaves of the indigenous silver thatch palm was “the main marketable product” and was
“highly regarded for its durability and strength” (Craton, 2003, p. 208). Rope making was not
hugely profitable but was an important and vital livelihood for women in particular. Ariel Forbes
(born 1930) explained “my mother would make straw rope and we could always buy food with
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that” (Cayman Islands National Archives, Interview with Ariel Forbes, 2001). The rope was used
by all the local fishermen and turtlers because it was stronger and more resistant to seawater than
the rope made from other natural fibres; it was also exported to places like Jamaica. Children not
only learnt the art of rope making itself but also how to make the ‘cart and winch’ – an apparatus
for ‘layering’ the rope which was also homemade.
In the Oral History Memory Bank of the Cayman Islands National Archives, Annelee
Ebanks (born 1937), explained that she learnt to make rope as a little girl “Our parents taught us
how to twist the tops and how to….‘lay the ropes’.” She recounts that as a young girl she would
also watch her father making baskets and straw brooms (other products made from the silver
thatch palm). At thirteen she tried it and taught herself every thing about weaving the ‘eleven
string’. She went on to excel at weaving, making unique and sought after pieces for which she
also won numerous awards for at Agricultural fairs and boasts of being able to weave up to
thirty-two strings. She passed on her skills to other young girls who wanted to learn from her.
Shipbuilding was an integral and proud part of the Caymanian history and heritage.
Although the basic skills of ship building were learnt from Jamaica and the Central American
Coast, the Caymanian ships were modified based on unique local needs. From as early as 1858
Governor Darling, on a visit to Grand Cayman, reported seeing twenty boats that had all been
built on Island. Governor Darling praised the local boatbuilding and an experienced naval officer
who was with him at the time, made positive comments about the strength of the boats and the
way in which they were made (Craton, 2003).
The Caymanian catboat, first built in 1904, is a unique product of the Cayman
shipbuilding industry. It has been noted that the skills for building the schooners, sloops and
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catboats were almost instinctive (Craton, 2003). In describing the ingenuity of the Caymanian
shipbuilder, Booker (1993) wrote that “The builders had no engineering education; they
worked…without plans, blue prints, specifications or machinery…”
Caymanians also have a strong informal maritime education. This came first from being
engaged in the turtle trade and then later from experiences gained on board ships during the
Second World War. At first navigation was primitive then slowly mariners learned to ‘read’ the
conditions at sea. “By the twentieth century, however, many captains were master mariners (and
some even had) some form of certification” (Craton, 2003, p. 221). At the beginning of the
Second World War more than two hundred Caymanian men enlisted in the Navy becoming
crewmen or gunners. These experiences served them well and Caymanian mariners were
described by Daniel Ludwig, owner of a giant shipping line company that employed many
Caymanian mariners during the 1950 - 1970, as “the most intelligent, reliable, hard-working”
mariners he had encountered” (Craton, 2003 p. 299).
Another important aspect of the informal history of education in the Cayman Islands was
that some children were given a basic education, (reading, writing and arithmetic), at home by
their parents, older siblings or by a private tutor.
Craton (2003) indicated that “education in the Sister Islands probably began informally
within families as it had in Grad Cayman in earlier generations” (p. 242). He also noted that
when Governor Norman visited Grand Cayman in 1884 he later reported that there was “no
schoolmaster, but some attempt at education is carried on in families and prayer books & bibles
were to be seen in the houses” (p. 162).
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In an interview conducted by the Cayman Islands National Archive (CINA), Cynthia
Scott (born 1913) described her mother, (who was born in 1879), as having had a “great thirst for
learning”. In a few short years, her mother was able to learn a great deal from Baptist
Missionaries who were working in Cayman Brac at that time (1890-1900). So much so that she
was able to practice nursing and midwifery and teach, first her own children and then others in a
small private school. Cynthia Scott’s mother had four children all of whom she taught at home as
she did not think the private school nearby was satisfactory. Cynthia explained that “When they
opened the public school….we had already got started with home schooling with my mother, and
so none of us when to public school.” Later when they reached high school age, she and another
of her sisters enrolled in a high school correspondence school based in Chicago. “We did the
studying and sent the papers back there and they’d grade them and send them back.”
In a separate interview, Greta Kirkconnell (born 1915) says “Our mother always read to
us and sang to us. She would tell us fairy tales. It was something that she had read and she would
tell us about.” Greta’s mom taught them at home, giving them lessons in reading, history and
geography while she sewed.
Elsie Catt of West Bay (born 1934) described in her interview with the National Archives
the informal education she receive from her Grandfather and from listening to the stories the
adults told. During the gatherings when her Grandfather who was a sea captain would return
home, there was always music being played and her brothers and cousins learnt to play the
saxophone and violin quite proficiently that way. Her Grandfather also taught them about the
stars, semaphoring (sending messages by means of a visual signalling apparatus), and Morse
code. In her interview she said:
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We loved to learn about the stars…he [her grandfather] had books with flags and we just
found those things very fascinating and grew up with that, and learning a lot about it. We
learnt so much without the benefit of libraries and all that stuff…I just feel fortunate to
have that foundation….That’s what makes me think that people were very
intelligent…because they was so many things they could do; build ships, build houses
that can withstand hurricanes (pp. 3, 9, 22).
Aarona Booker (born 1913 in Ohio), lived in Grand Cayman from 1925-1928. She
describes how she came to be home-schooled by her parents neither of whom had finished high
school “they were, however, self-educated quite well”. A schedule was set up and she worked
from her room. She was an avid reader and picked up much of what she learnt from books. When
it was time to enter high school, her parents enrolled her in a home correspondence school in
America. She also got some tutoring from a Caymanian named Smiley Connolly. “I read
everything I could get my hands on, and that, with my rather casual and sketchy schooling,
somehow enabled me to go into junior class in high school back in Mississippi….and graduate
two years later” (Booker, 1993, p. 29).
In addition to being taught at home by their parents, older siblings who had already
started school often taught their younger siblings at home. Mrs. Nyda Flatly recalled being able
to read by the time she started formal schooling at age six because her older sister had taught her
to read (personal communication, December 22, 2007). In addition, local young people having
completed their schooling often taught younger siblings or other people’s children. Ariel Forbes
(born 1930) recalled that at age sixteen, having already completed school, her brother used to go
and teach the Glidden children at their home. This tradition of home-schooling persists today
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with a number of children still being taught at home by their parents. Many go right through their
school years being taught at home, others attend formal school at some point in their education
careers.
Education: More than Formal Education
What seems to characterise these stories of informal and non-formal education in the past
is that the education was easily accessible (people had access to the persons within the
community that had the knowledge they needed), it was flexible (one could start and stop when
needed or when enough information had been learnt or when interests had changed), it was
informally-organized, it was community based, it was relational and it was largely self-chosen.
These stories, tell us much about the nature of the people and the ways in which they learnt; their
natural desire to seek out education, to keep on learning and to succeed and make meaningful
contributions to society. In other words, they seemed to have been able to fulfil the mission
statement of the Education Department and “be successful and productive lifelong learners and
citizens in an ever changing…society”.
Perhaps the “new model of Governance for the education service, which places students
firmly at the centre” along with the introduction of “Learning Communities…designed to effect
the embracement and involvement of education by the wider community”(Inform, 2006 (2), p. 2)
are two ways in which this present educational reform will create a sufficiently flexible
framework in which to incorporate the broad range of educational opportunities and strategies
available in order to expand the learning opportunities of students.
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References
A history of the department of education in the Cayman Islands. (1981).
A new curriculum for schools in the Cayman Islands, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2007 from
http://www.brighterfutures.gov.ky/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MEHHOME/EDUCATION/
CURRICULUM/NATIONALCURRICULUMOVERVIEW.PDF
Booker, A. (1993). Under tin roofs: Cayman in the 1920s. George Town: Cayman Islands
National Museum.
Craton, M. (2003). Founded upon the seas: A history of the Cayman Islands and their people.
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