Education in Jamaica has made great strides since the days of home schooling and the less fortunate being unable to obtain a proper education. It is best served for the purpose of general information to divide Jamaica's Education system into four levels.Early Childhood Education
Children 2-5 years start school in the various basic and infant schools. The syllabus at this level is not set and children are generally taught basic alphabet, numbers and word associations. Most parents treat this stage as a day care.
Primary Education
When privately owned or run, these schools are called Preparatory Schools.
Primary education in Jamaica addresses the basic educational needs of students and prepares them for secondary education. It includes children between the ages of 5-12 years. Under the Caribbean Examination Council's Revised Primary Curriculum, student assessment has changed significantly from what was generally an automatic promotion to secondary school through the former Common Entrance Examinations at the end of Grade 6. Since 1999, the National Assessment Program (NAP) and Grade Six Achievements tests (GSAT) have been utilizing a variety of teaching strategies to ensure that learning experiences are more broad based and student centred. NAP adopts an integrated approach from grades 1-3 and a discrete subject area for grades 4-6.
- Grade 1: Readiness Inventory
- Grade 3: Assessment tests in Math and Language Arts
- Grade 4: Literacy Test
- Grade 6: Achievement Test: in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Writing.
These exams often greatly figure into which high schools students qualify to attend. In the capital city of Kingston however, where the population is more dense, students are often placed in secondary schools that coincide with their postal code.
Secondary Education
- Lower School - Forms 1-3 (Ages 10-13 or 14)
Students are exposed to a wide range of subjects, including Spanish and French as 2nd languages. Generally, Integrated Science is generally taught until the 3rd form, where students begin taking Physics, Biology and Chemistry as separate subjects. Some schools group students based on their academic achievement the year prior. This can greatly impact what subjects some students might be able to take later on in school, and what teachers they might be assigned to.
- Upper School - Forms 4 & 5
In 4th form, students choose anywhere from 6-10 subjects (8 is the standard) that they will sit in the Caribbean Examination Council's O-Level school leaving examinations. Students are free to create their own curricula which must include but cannot be limited to: Mathematics, English Grammar, Biology, a choice between either History or English Literature, or both. Most students take at least one foreign language. Other subjects include: Physics, Chemistry, Spanish, French, Accounting, Principles of Business, Information Technology, Religious Education, Technical Drawing, Art, Theatre Arts and about 25 others. Generally students are informally classified, or classify themselves as Arts, Sciences and Business students, especially if they plan on going to 6th form.
At the 4th form level students can opt to start taking SAT classes if they wish to do the United States SAT exams in order to gain entry to a United States University. There are various centers across the island where students can sit these exams (usually secondary schools)
- Grading: Some exams can be taken at either the Basic or General Proficiency levels, the latter being more common. Exams are graded from Grades 1 to 4. 1 is a pass with distinction, 2 a pass with credit. 3 is a satisfactory level pass and 4 is either a failure, or a 'basic-level' pass.
- Sixth Form (Divided into upper and lower sixth)
Sixth form is an optional, two year long, advanced post secondary program, at the end of which students write the CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams). These are the equivalent of the GCE A-Level examinations which were the standard up until 2003. Some students still choose to sit A-levels if they wish, but in doing so they must still meet CAPE's basic subject requirements/groupings. CAPE and A-level exams are significantly harder than exams sat at the end of high school, and are often thought to be harder than most exams students will ever sit in university. Entry into Sixth Form is extremely competitive, especially in rural and suburban Jamaica, where there are less high schools with sixth form, serving larger areas.
- Student Government
Generally, A-Level or CAPE examinations are required to enter the nation's Universities. One may also qualify after having earned a 3-year diploma from an accredited post-secondary college. The word college usually denotes institutions which do not grant at least a bachelor's degree. Universities are typically the only degree granting institutions; however, many colleges have been creating joint programs with universities, and thus are able to offer some students more than a college diploma. A few universities in the United States have extension programs in various parts of Jamaica. Most of the students who enroll in these part-time programs are working professionals who want to continue their education without having to relocate closer to the nation's Universities.
Tertiary education is offered by the following institutions:
- University of the West Indies Mona, (a regional institution)
- University of Technology (UTech)
- Northern Caribbean University (NCU)
- Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts (an artistic conservatory)
- College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE)
- G. C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports
- 12 teacher training colleges, 14 community colleges, 1 dental auxiliary school, 1 Vocational Training Development Institute, 29 vocational training centres and 6 Human Employment and Resources Training (HEART) vocational training institutions.
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