Social Development: Education

This chapter examines educational outcomes in Trinidad and Tobago (TT). Education is crucial for a country’s development, with strong influences on its political, social, and economic development. In TT, substantial investment in public education is evident, with free access from ages 3 to 18, along with additional benefits like subsidised meals and tertiary education support. While TT has shown improvement in educational access, its quality of education seems to lag other peers. Test scores indicate a lower performance than expected, especially in international assessments for reading, literacy and mathematics. Within TT, disparities in educational outcomes exist based on school type, gender, and ethnicity, with denominational and private schools showing better average test results, although these test scores may not fully represent a school’s long-term impact on students beyond academics. Moreover, significant differences in performance between religious groups (acting as proxies for ethnicity) and genders are emerging, with trends indicating a shift in university enrolment demographics. Overall, while strides have been made in educational access, there is room to improve quality, equity, and inclusivity in TT’s education system.