2. Education sector diagnosis
Table 2:
St. Kitts and Nevis enrolment indicators, 2013
NER ages 0-2
NER ages 3-4
ASER 5 years old
Males |
42.2 % |
Females |
37.0 % |
All |
39.6 % |
GPI |
0.88 |
Males |
86.1 % |
Females |
84.3 % |
All |
85.2 % |
GPI |
0.98 |
Males |
100.0 % |
Females |
100.0 % |
All |
100.0 % |
GPI |
1.00 |
Source: GoSKN, 2014c; population projections from the SKN ESP Simulation Model, IIEP.
Table 3:
Primary and secondary school Net Enrolment Ratio and Gender Parity Indices, 2013
Primary NER
Secondary NER
Males |
93.2 % |
Females |
94.3 % |
All |
93.8 % |
GPI |
1.01 |
Males |
82.3 % |
Females |
80.3 % |
All |
81.3 % |
GPI |
0.98 |
Source: GoSKN, 2014c; population projections from the SKN ESP Simulation Model, IIEP.
Nonetheless, for decades, the Ministry has provided for universal education at the primary and secondary level. Using provisional population estimates, as of 2013, the gross enrolment ratio( GER) at the primary level stood at 98 %( 100 % SK, 94 % N) and net enrolment was 94 %( 95 % SK, 90 % N). 13 The male-to-female ratio at this level indicates that gender parity has been achieved. Additionally, SKN boasts a transition rate from primary to secondary of 100 %
At the secondary level, despite the provision of free and compulsory comprehensive education since the 1960s, sustaining universal access and participation at this level has been challenging. Using 2013 – 2014 data, GER is 90 %( 90 % SK, 88 % N) and NER is 81 %( 82 % SK, 79 % N), which indicates that 19 % of secondary school students are either over- or underage. In terms of participation by gender, the overall enrolment ratio of males to females is roughly equal( GPI 0.98)( see Figure 5). 14
23
Figure 5: Students by grade and age condition(%), 2013 – 2014
100 % 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0 % |
15 %
85 %
Preschool
|
4 % |
4 % |
5 % |
73 % |
73 % |
71 % |
23 % |
23 % |
24 % |
8 %
70 %
21 %
Kinder G1 G2 G3
|
9 % |
9 % |
8 % |
12 % |
16 % |
18 % |
69 % |
67 % |
69 % |
70 % |
88 % |
65 % |
22 % |
23 % |
23 % |
18 % |
85 % |
15 % |
4,5 % 4,8 % 26 % 27 %
57 % 54 %
12 % 13 %
G4 G5 G6 G1 G2 G3 G4 G5
|
|
EC |
Primary |
Secondary |
% Under age % Expected age % 1 Year over age % 2 Years over age % 3 + Years over age
Source: EMIS data as depicted in UNICEF( 2016), Graph 7.
13. The NER is lower than a number of key stakeholders believe to be true. MoE officials, officials with responsibility for the household registry in the Ministry of Social Development, principals, and community members alike express confidence that all primary schoolage children are indeed in school. The low NER may be attributed to the single age disaggregation population reconstruction.
14. Without reliable age-disaggregated population information and complete enrolment datasets prior to 2013 / 2014, ascertaining GER before 2013 / 2014 was not feasible. GER / NER for 2013 / 2014 was projected by building population data in line with primary school demography, as it can be safely assumed that all primary school children are, indeed, in school.