CARICOM CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CCDP)

National Census Report 2001, St. Vincent and the GrenadinesAlthough the education budget has increased, its share of the total budget has not. In 2000, thecurrent education budget was EC$53.4 million or 18.67 per cent of government's total currentexpenditure, compared to EC$60.3 million or 17.54 per cent in 2004.Figure 4.1: Per Capita Expenditure on Education by Level ofEducation, 1999/2000 - 2003/2004$5,000$4,000$3,000$2,000$1,000$01999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004Primary 1,317 1,466 1,505 1,549 1,657Secondary 1,657 1,745 1,894 1,946 1,855Post Secondary 4,621 4,737 3,894 3,906 3,437Source: MEYS, 2003Personal emolument accounted for the largest share of the current expenditure on education, anaverage of 85 per cent from 2000 to 2004. The remaining 15 per cent was spent on schoolsupplies and other expenses.Primary education accounted for the majority of government’s total current expenditure, whilepost-secondary education received the smallest share. Over the 1999-2004 school year, per capitaexpenditure at the primary level increased by 25.82 per cent from EC$ 1 317 in the 1999/2000school year to EC$ 1 657 in the 2003/2004 school year. On the other hand, per capitaexpenditure at the post secondary level over the same period decreased by 25.62 per cent fromEC$ 4 621 in the 1999/2000 school year to EC$ 3 437 in the 2003/2004 school year. It is alsoshown that per capita expenditure at the secondary level increased by 11.94 per cent over thesame period, from EC$ 1 657 in the 1999/2000 school year to EC$ 1 855 in the 2003/200455