EDUCATIONAL
CHALLENGES
IN THE CARIBBEAN
Cynthia Hobbs
Latin America and the Caribbean Region
The World Bank
14 July 2003
Main issues and challenges in
Education in the Caribbean
Access and equity
 Efficiency
 Quality
 Regional sharing

Equitable access to education

Most countries have achieved universal
primary education
 School-age population is stable or declining
 Current focus:
(i) increase equitable access to pre-primary,
secondary and tertiary
(ii) increase male participation in secondary
and tertiary
(iii) provide better support for academically
and emotionally challenged students
(iv) improve quality at all levels
Cross-Country Comparison:
Primary Coverage and Efficiency
Chart 3: GERs and GCRs in Primary Education for 10 Caribbean Countries
120
100
%
80
GER
GCR
60
40
20
0
Belize
Dominica
DR
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Countries
StKitts
Slucia
SVG
TT
Cross-Country Comparison:
Secondary Coverage and Efficiency
Chart 4: GERs and GCRs in Secondary Education for 10 Caribbean Countries
120
100
%
80
GER
GCR
60
40
20
0
Belize
Dominica
DR
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Countries
StKitts
StLucia
SVG
TT
Cross-Country Comparison:
Survival Rates
Chart 5: Survival Rates for 10 Caribbean Countries
120
100
%
80
60
40
20
0
Belize
Dominica
DR
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
StKitts
StLucia
SVG
Countries
SR to last grade of primary
SR to first grade of secondary
SR to last grade of secondary
TT
Efficiency of education
Most Caribbean countries are spending
a high percentage of GDP on education
 However, they invest very little and now
face severe fiscal constraints
 Efficiency gains should be made in the
education sector

Cross-Country Comparison:
Cost-Effectiveness
Chart 11: Public Expenditure on Education and Completion Rate in 10
Caribbean Countries
90
GR
Gross Completion Rate in secondary (%)
80
SL
SK
70
JA
TT
60
DO
50
SVG
DR
40
GU
BE
30
20
10
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
Education Expenditure/GDP (%)
6
7
8
9
Cross-Country Comparison:
Cost-Efficiency
Chart 12: Unit Costs and Pupil-Teacher Ratios in Secondary Education for 9
Caribbean Countries
30
DR
25
Pupil-teacher ratios
GR
SL
20
DO
SVG
TT
JA
15
BE
SK
10
5
0
0
200
400
600
Unit costs (US$)
800
1000
1200
Quality
Outcomes (test scores, CXC)
 Curriculum (relevance)
 Teacher training and teacher migration
 Resources/ materials
 Planning and management

Cross-Country Comparison:
Quality
Chart 13: CXC Performance in 9 Caribbean Countries
90
80
70
Passing rates (%)
60
50
Math CXC
English CXC
40
30
20
10
0
Belize
Dominica
DR
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Countries
StKitts
StLucia
SVG
TT
Efforts at meeting the challenges
Within and between countries
 Among donors

Strategy for education reform
All countries have established strategic
sector reform plans and have created a
shared vision to improve education
 These strategies establish the
foundation for investments
 Projects financed by the World Bank
and other donors are assisting countries
to achieve their strategic goals

Education Reform Projects
Expand equitable access
 Improve quality
 Strengthen institutional capacity

Moving Towards a New Secondary School
» School Development Plan with quality
indicators
» Teacher training in key subject areas (revised
curriculum)
» Learning Resource Center with free internet
» Integrated Science Laboratory
» Support services for disadvantaged students
» School Improvement Project
» Student-run Extra-curricular Activities
» Decentralized budget for school maintenance
» EMIS linked to school supervision
Regional Cooperation
There are initiatives in different
countries that are worth sharing
 To achieve changes in culture, content,
and teaching and management
approaches, knowledge sharing and
cooperation among the countries are
paramount

Knowledge Management
Creation of knowledge and statistical
data (EMIS in each country using
common performance indicators
developed by UNESCO, OERU, WB)
 Establishment of an advisory service
within OERU to systematize sharing of
information (WB, DFID, CIDA)
