| Country Name: | Barbados |
| Agency: | Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training http://www.mes.gov.bb/ |
| Leader Titles: | Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training |
| Leader Names: | Hon. Kay McConney MP |
| Budget: | BDS$489,608,238[1] [2] |
| Budget Year: | 2015 - 16 |
| System Type: | National |
| Established Events: | Compulsory education |
| Established Dates: | 1890 (Education Act of 1890) |
| Literacy Year: | 2014[3] |
| Literacy Total: | 99.6 |
| Literacy Men: | 99 |
| Literacy Women: | 99.6 |
| Enrollment Year: | 2015-16 |
| Enroll Total: | 46 812 |
| Enroll Primary: | 20 148 |
| Enroll Secondary: | 20 370 |
| Enroll Post-Secondary: | 13 420+[4] |
| Attain Secondary: | n/a |
| Attain Post-Secondary: | n/a |
| Footnotes: | Total enrolment includes pre-primary and special education. |
Education in Barbados is based primarily on the British model.
Universal access to primary and secondary education dates from at least the 1960s.[5] The literacy rate in Barbados for youth and adults are both above 99%, only falling to 98.5 among the elderly. The literacy gender parity rate is 1.0. This information is for 2014.
Starting in 2000, the government initiated the Education Sector Enhancement Programme, usually referred to as EduTech 2000. This USD 213 million project was financed by the Government of Barbados (45%), the Inter-American Development Bank (40% and the Caribbean Development Bank (15%).[6] This initiative provided for four key improvements: (a) repairs to 73 of the public primary and secondary school buildings; (b) new units established by the Ministry to support new teaching methodologies, including the Shell Media Resources Review Center, the National Educational Evaluation and Research Centre (at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill), and a Programme office within the Ministry; enhancements to the technological availability (new computers, software and networking); (d) in-service training for all teachers in technology integration, child-centred methodologies, and special needs education; and (e) curricular reform to respond to changes in Barbados society. The key conceptual foundations for the initiative are constructivism and child-centred education. Most of the in-service training was provided by Erdiston Teachers' Training College.
During Barbados' pre-emancipation era (1807-1833), the abolition of the slave trade spurred efforts to educate slaves. These efforts, aimed at immediate amelioration and preparation for freedom, underscored the importance of "civilizing and Christianizing" the slave population through education. Despite resistance from planters, Bishop William Hart Coleridge and others established day and Sunday schools, emphasizing moral and religious instruction. Post-emancipation, educational expansion continued with British government support through existing missionary societies into the 1840s, aiming to provide moral and religious instruction to the newly emancipated population.[7]
In Barbados, the educational journey for children typically begins at primary school, commencing at the age of 5 and continuing until around 11 years old. The primary school curriculum provides a foundational education covering various subjects and skills necessary for further academic development. Upon reaching approximately 11 years of age, typically at the culmination of Class 4, students undertake the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE), commonly referred to as the "Common Entrance Examination." This standardized test evaluates students' academic abilities and determines their placement into secondary schools across the island. The secondary school phase of education in Barbados spans from ages 11 to either 16 or 18, depending on the specific school and educational pathway chosen by the student. During this period, students delve deeper into specialized subjects, preparing for external examinations such as the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, which typically occur at the end of the secondary education cycle.[8]
In 1959, Barbados saw the introduction of the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE), also known as the Common Entrance Examination (CEE). This standardized test was implemented to allocate placements in secondary schools across the island and marked a significant development in the educational system.
During the post-independence era, especially from the late 1960s, there was a notable increase in the demand for secondary education among the general population. However, the existing number of secondary school spaces was insufficient to meet this rising demand. As a result, the BSSEE was introduced to address this challenge.
As of 2015–16, there are:[9]
The Barbadian school year is fashioned after the British system, and as such, it follows a scheduling with three terms per school year.
The first term begins the second week of September and continues for 15 weeks adjourning in mid-December excluding one week for Mid Term Break in Mid-October. The second Term begins in the first week of January and continues for 12 weeks ending the end of March. The final Third Term begins mid-April and continues for 11 weeks until the end of June.
The School Holiday period is 9 to 10 weeks long from the end of June until the first week of September.
Education is provided free of charge and is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16, and attendance is strictly enforced.[10] In 1991, the gross primary enrollment rate was 90.4 percent.[10] During his tenure as Prime Minister, The Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow introduced free education in Barbados, ensuring that all children had access to schooling regardless of their background. He also implemented a school meals service in 1963, providing nutritious meals to students.
It was reported that Barbados has spent roughly US$15 billion on Education since Independence in 1966. In 2006 during the inaugural Cecil F. deCaires Memorial Lecture at the Frank Collymore Hall, the former Central Bank Governor Sir Courtney Blackman remarked that between 1966 and 2000 successive Governments (of Barbados) had spent US$15 billion on education costs – "a remarkable investment for such a small state".[12]
In 2009, Ronald Jones as the Minister of Education and Human Resource Development said the Barbados government spent $290 million to upgrade the schools with information technology. Given this Jones said the ministry would be entering a grading processes for schools on their usage of the technology using a scale of 1 to 6.[13]