2 . Education sector diagnosis
A clear understanding of the background and environment in which the education sector operates , along with sound analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of the system , are critical to developing a relevant education development strategy . Accordingly , in 2015 the Ministry of Education conducted and validated an education sector diagnosis ( ESD ), which contextualized education provision in the Federation and then examined the education system in terms of : ( i ) access and participation , ( ii ) quality and relevance , ( iii ) costs and finance , and ( iv ) governance and management , with equity as a cross-cutting angle of analysis , as applicable . This assessment , which was informed by several complementary sector analyses , both internally and externally driven , 5 brought key policy issues to the fore , which are now taken up in this ESP . A truncated version of the ESD is presented below .
2.1 . Context Historical background
St . Kitts and Nevis ( SKN ) was colonized by Great Britain in the 1620s , 6 and remained a British colony until 1983 when political independence was achieved , making the Federation the youngest sovereign nation in the Americas ( Bekkers , 2009 ; Inniss , 1983 , 1985 ). 7 However , education provision has been the responsibility of the nation since 1967 , when St . Kitts and Nevis became an Associate State with internal autonomy to govern local affairs . The Saint Christopher and Nevis Constitution Order 1983 holds the GoSKN as the highest governing authority in the Federation , yet also grants the island of Nevis , governed by the Nevis Island Assembly , significant autonomy with respect to local governance , including the delivery and management of education ( Bekkers , 2009 ; GoSKN , 2014a ). Understanding the constitutional responsibilities assigned to the two levels of government is important , as developing education policy is a federal undertaking ; yet policy implementation , if it is to be effective , must be sensitive to the contextual specificities of each jurisdiction that have developed because of autonomy between the islands in managing the dayto-day provision of education .
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Geography and demography
SKN is a small island developing state ( SIDS ) in the Caribbean Leeward Islands Chain . The islands are separated by a 3-km channel , known as The Narrows . The combined total land area of SKN is 261 km 2 ( St . Kitts : 168 km 2 / Nevis : 93 km 2 ), 19.2 % of which is arable . Each island is divided into administrative parishes with nine in St . Kitts and five in Nevis . The Federation , like many of the neighbouring islands , is home to beautiful beaches and vibrant ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate change . Additionally , the islands are susceptible to natural disasters such as tropical storms and hurricanes , which have caused significant infrastructural damage over the last 20 years ( CDB , 2009 ). Such disasters can negatively impact the delivery of education , and as such potential hazards should be planned for and mitigated through the implementation of appropriate crisis / disaster risk reduction strategies .
Population growth has been negligible over the last century and 2011 census data indicate that the total population of the Federation is 47,149 ( 49 % male and 51 % female ), with 34,872 persons , or 74 %, living in St . Kitts ( 16,869 males and 18,003 females ) and 12,277 , or 26 %, living in Nevis ( 6,126 males and 6,151 females ) ( see Figure 2 ). In St . Kitts , the largest share of the population lives in the capital city of Basseterre ( 36 %), followed by the rural parishes of St . Peter ( 13 %) and St . Mary ( 10 %). In Nevis , the largest share of the population lives in the rural parish of St . Johns ( 31 %), followed by the rural parish of St . Georges ( 20 %); only 15 % lives in the capital of Charlestown . In terms of ethnic composition , 90 % of the population are of African descent , 3 % are of East Indian origin , 2.7 % are Caucasian , and 2.6 % are registered as ‘ mixed ’. The 2001 census was the first to incorporate the category of ‘ Hispanic ’ in the list of ethnicities , with 1.2 % of the population identifying as such . 8 Although still a small share of the population , this reflects the growing number of persons from the Dominican Republic immigrating to SKN , for whom English is not a first language . Given this reality , the education sector must be prepared to accommodate learners with potential language barriers .
5 . Internal analyses included the GoSKN Ministry of Education Education Sector Situation Analysis ( 2013e ) and the Education Sector Policy Review Country Background Report ( GoSKN , 2014a ). External analyses included the UNESCO St . Kitts and Nevis TVET Policy
Review ( 2014 ), the 2016 UNESCO Education Sector Policy Review on Governance , Planning and Management ( including M & E , curricula , academic staff policies , and teaching and learning ), and the World Bank Functional Review of the Ministry of Education ( draft ) ( World Bank , 2015a , 2015b ).
6 . St . Kitts was colonized in 1624 and Nevis in 1628 . 7 . Anguilla was a member island of the Presidency of St . Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla until 1967 .
8 . 1.9 % of the Nevis population reported being born in the Dominican Republic , making this group the second largest immigrant group following the Guyanese , who comprise 8 % of the island ’ s population . No federal data are available .