The Government of Barbados offers assistance where expenses are paid for from the public funds, and pupils who attend government-approved secondary schools receive books under the Textbook Loan Scheme. Privately assisted schools receive bursaries to assist some children.
With tertiary education, the cost of Barbadian students attending the University of the West Indies, is paid for by the Government.
Primary Schools
Primary refers to education for children between the ages of 3 - 11 which includes nursery (3 - 7 years) and junior (8 - 11 years). Children at these schools are selected from all social and economic backgrounds, and benefit from the provision of school meals at nominal cost.
Early Childhood and Nursery Schools
When there is adequate space and the basic facilities are available to deliver the subjects, allowance is made for the education of children from three years old at the Primary School level.
Secondary Schools
Secondary education is provided for children from 9 - 18 years of age.
Free education is available to all students attending the island's government secondary schools, where the quality of instruction is boosted by an evenly distrubuted network of trained and graduate teachers.
These private and government schools permit Barbados to offer compulsory education to everyone up to the age of 16. This is responsible for the current literacy rate standing at 97%.
Special Schools
There are two special schools, the Irvine Wilson and the Ann Hill Schools. One caters to children with visual and hearing impairments, the other caters to the mentally challenged. Some students with special needs are also assimilated into some primary schools. The
government is in the process of further accommodating some children with special needs into the mainstream school system.
Tertiary Institutions
Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic
The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic holds both day and evening classes, providing technical and vocational training in areas such as Business Studies, Building, Automotive and Welding, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Printing, Agriculture, commerce, and garment studies. The Polytechnic also has a faculty for Human Ecology which includes Cosmetology and Home Economics. Students earn a diploma and certificate in their particular area of study.
The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic has been at the forefront in the development of highly trained personnel for more than 50 years, providing qualified individuals with quality proficiency by delivering world-class training and education in the technical and vocational fields of study.
The Barbados Community College is a tertiary educational institution which was established in 1968 by an Act of Parliament to empower the College to grant Bachelor Degrees, Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates to students who have successfully completed the approved programmes of study.
The college offers a wide range of programmes in the following areas:
(a) Agriculture
(b) Commerce
(c) Fine Arts
(d) Liberal Arts
(e) Science
(f) Technology
The University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies was initially established as an external College of the University of London, and is a fully regional institution of higher learning in the Caribbean offering several degrees and certificate courses.
Affiliated bodies in Barbados include the theological institute, Codrington College, which offers the B.A. and L. Th.; and the Caribbean Meteorological Institute which offers the B. Sc., meteorological component of the B. Sc. in meteorology.
The Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP)
BIMAP was established in 1971 through the combined efforts of the Government of Barbados and the private sector, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management, and to enhance national productivity.
BIMAP offers a general range of services in areas of management training, consulting, research and small business development. The training programme is oriented towards the needs of personnel at the operational, supervisory and management levels.
