How is Jamaica education system?

Jamaica is a beautiful island country located in the Caribbean Sea. The country is the largest island in the Caribbean and has beautiful tourist attraction sites that will make you not want to leave!

With regards to education, the system is modelled after the British Education system. This is because the country is a Commonwealth realm and Queen Elizabeth II is its head of state and monarch.

Everyone has to go through early childhood education which basically includes privately operated, basic and infant pre-schools. Students go through early childhood education from the ages of one to six. Currently, there are about 2,595 early childhood schools; 100 of these are infant schools, 402 day care centers, and 183 have not been given recognition by the government.

After early childhood education, students are expected to go through primary education. This stage is meant
to offer them important educational needs and to make them ready for secondary education. Children attending primary school are normally between 5 -11 years of age. The total duration taken to complete primary education is 6 years. Primary education is free and compulsory, and learning is conducted in English. The schools can either be primary schools, private preparatory schools, or state-owned.

Secondary education is in two phases. Lower School which is from Form 1 – Form 3 or grades 7-9. Here, students are taught various subjects including French and Spanish. The second phase is upper school which is from Form 4-5 or grades 10-11. Students at this stage sit fir the Caribbean Council’s O-Level examinations. English and mathematics are compulsory subjects. Students can choose from Geography, History, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, French, Religious Education, and French among others to make a total of 6-10 subjects. Students also have the option of attending sixth form where they sit for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams (CAPE).

CAPE exams are a requirement for one to get admission into the university. One can also qualify to join the university after obtaining a 3-year diploma from a recognized post-secondary college. Colleges in Jamaica do not grant a bachelor’s degree; universities are the only institutions that grant degrees.

There are special programs offered to students, for instance, the Tourism Education Program which offers a subject called Jamaica Tourist Bsm. This is taught at all levels of education, i.e. from early childhood to secondary and it works in agreement with the set curriculum which entails Social Studies, Mathematics, Resource and Technology which carries tourism linked concepts and materials. There is also a summer school program. This is basically a five-day workshop where learners get to work in the tourism environment thus acquiring firsthand experience. Students also go for field trips to the tourist attractions and top students get a one month ‘internship’ in tourism related institutions and hotels.

Education in Jamaica country is not all work and no play. Students take part in debate competitions and school’s challenge quizzes. They participate in sports, for instance, the Track and Field event where students participate in the Boys and Girls School’s Championships, for cricket they take part in the Grace Shield competition, and football, the Manning Cup and DaCosta Cup competitions.




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