CARICOM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CCDP)

National Census Report 2001, St. Vincent and the GrenadinesEven though primary school education should begin at age five, there were 239 children belowthis age that were attending primary school. The occurrence of this was minimal at theadministrative division level.4.3 School Attendance for the Population Five Years or OverThere were 28190 persons or 29.28 per cent of the population age five years or older (96 824)who attended school in 2001 (Table 4.2). The percentage was highest in Chateaubelair (32.40 percent), Kingstown Suburb (31.83 per cent), Barrouallie (31.65 per cent), and Georgetown (31.45per cent) and lowest in North Grenadines (21.57 per cent) South Grenadines (23.84 per cent),and Sandy Bay (25.71 per cent).The percentage of females (30.52 percent) who attended school was slightly higher compared tothe males (28.05). This was evident in all the administrative divisions except in Sandy Baywhere the percentage of males was slightly higher.There was a decrease in school attendance during the 1991/2001 intercensal period. In 1991,32 138 persons 5 years or older attended school compared to 28 190 in 2001. These figuresrepresent a 12.28 per cent decrease in the number of those that attended school and a decrease inthe rate of school attendance from 34.04 per cent in 1991 to 29.29 per cent in 2001. The decreaseamong males was higher than that of the total population and of the females. School attendancedecreased by 13.13 percent for males and by 11.48 per cent for females over the 1991/2001intercensal period.40