St. Vincent and the Grenadines Education Statistical Digest

For the first time in June of 2014, the first cohort of Grade 6 students at the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) and did themselves, their teachers, their parents and the Ministry of Education proud! Again I re-echo praise and congratulations to the hardworking teachers, who despite their initial apprehension, stuck to the task of ensuring that this first cohort of our nation’s children were duly prepared for this modified form of assessment. Having achieved an overall pass rate of 78.08%, we are now poised to ensure that this high standard is sustained and further uplifted.

The Ministry of Education seeks to embrace the holistic development of the child. Hence, we are concerned not only with their academic advancement but also with their spiritual, emotional and physical well being as captured in our Child month theme for 2013: Building a strong foundation: Ensuring a brighter future. We realize that in the business of education, our customers whether at the Preschool, Primary, Secondary, Post Secondary/ Tertiary, Technical and Vocational Education or Adult and Continuing Education must be provided with a learner centred environment which is conducive to personal advancement. Consequently, we are piloting initiatives such as the Child-Friendly Schools and the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment at the primary level. These programmes are aimed at developing the creative skills of our young children as we prepare them for higher level learning and the 21st Century.