‘Those who fail to plan, plan to fail’! These are words we have heard repeatedly from our elders and scribes. The lesson intended is simple yet profound; achieving your goals requires a strategy, a set of actions and timelines. This is true at the personal or micro level as it is true at the organizational or macro level. The Ministry of Education operates at the macro level. It is charged with the responsibility of planning and managing the development of education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A critical factor in helping the Ministry to accomplish its goals is the timely production and availability of educational data from which accurate, valid and reliable information can be extrapolated.
Such information can be extracted from this edition of the Educational Statistical Digest. It was compiled against the background of an expanding education system that is seeking through a veritable education revolution to transform our economy and society from the legacies of a colonial past to a modern- competitive economy and a progressive society. Consequently, our education system places great emphasis on enhancing the access, quality and relevance of the education provided. Thus, the data provided in this Statistical Digest provides the basis for the analysis of our efforts in this regard and the subsequent development of informed policy initiatives to help us to consolidate and further expand our education revolution. The 2019-20 edition of the Digest, thus, represents an important source of information for all stakeholders in the education sector and the broader community.
I am therefore pleased to share this important document with our various stakeholders of education, policymakers, and the general public. Moreover, I am comfortable in the knowledge that it will be of critical value to those engage in education planning, management, development and research. Finally, I thank the Education Planner, his team and all those who contributed to the publication of this most valuable document.