Education in St. Lucia is primarily based on the British education system and is provided in public and

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

schools. The

Human Rights Measurement Initiative The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) is a non-profit organisation primarily housed in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 2016 by Anne-Marie Brook, K. Chad Clay, and Susan Randolph: experts in human rights and economics. These ...

(HRMI) finds that St. Lucia fulfills 85.2% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income. HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration St. Lucia's income level, the nation achieves 87.8% of what should be possible based on its resources (income) for primary education and 82.6% for secondary education. Education in St Lucia is compulsory between ages 5 to 15. St Lucia has achieved universal primary education, and universal secondary education. School hours are normally from 9a.m. to 3p.m., with secondary schools starting at 8a.m. and ending at 2:30p.m. There are approximately 74 primary schools in St Lucia, and 23 secondary schools. Before its Independence, schools in St. Lucia were managed by different religious denominations, in particular the Roman Catholic Church, the Seventh-day Adventist church, and Methodist churches.

Primary Education

Following time perhaps spent at pre-school, children enter primary school for 7 years to learn the rudiments of literacy, numeracy and social sciences, from Infant School ( Grade K) to Primary School (Grades 1–6). At the end of Grade 6, students write the Common Entrance Examination to determine placement for additional compulsory schooling.

Secondary Education

Secondary School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

education follows for those who pass the Common Entrance Examination. Based on their performance, students will enter a designated school according to their 1st, 2nd or 3rd school of choice. After 3 years, students may choose to either sit the CSEC examinations or continue through to Form 5 then write the exam.

Tertiary Education

Tertiary education is provided through

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

(UWI) distance learning programs, and the local

Sir Arthur Lewis Community College Sir Arthur Lewis Community College is the only community college in the island country of Saint Lucia. The college was established in 1985 and is named after Saint Lucian economist and Nobel laureate Sir Arthur Lewis. Notable alumni *Sarah Floo ...

(SALCC), which is evolving into a degree-awarding institution. It has 4 Divisions, namely Agriculture, Arts Science & General Studies, Teacher Education & Educational Administration, and Technical Education & Management Studies, and these are undergirded by 10 Departments. St Lucia has a number of

medical schools A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...

and universities. The

is located in

Castries Castries is the capital and largest city of Saint Lucia, an island country in the Caribbean. The urban area has a population of approximately 20,000, while the eponymous district has a population of 70,000, as at May 2013. The city stretches o ...

, where most St Lucians go to further their studies. The literacy rate in St Lucia is estimated to be 90%.

References

Society of Saint Lucia {{education-stub