Tobago
and Trinidad – Educational Facilities
"Tobago’s very own “Dwight York
- Schoolboy to Football Superstar”
The Educational system is modelled on the British
system and produces one of the highest standards
of education in the Caribbean.
Primary school education is compulsory and Secondary
school education is available to all children
with approximately two-thirds of the 12/15 age
group staying on there and one third following
other types of training.
Students have the opportunity to further their
careers at Secondary school (Grade 12 level)
when they can take the regional Caribbean Examinations
Council acceptable as an entry qualification
for Higher Education in Canada, the United Kingdom
and the United States. After Grade 12, students
can continue in Secondary school for a further
two years to take the British “Advanced
Level” examinations set up by the Universities
of Cambridge and London.
Two private schools were opened in 1994 and
follow the lines of the American and Canadian
Education system.
• Fifteen technical and vocational schools
taking approximately 5000 students.
• The Government sponsors a Youth Training
and Employment Partnership Programme whose nine
month courses turn out 8000 graduates a year.
• The Trinidad and Tobago Hotel School
offers courses for the Hotel, Catering and Travel
Industries.
• The University of the West Indies based
on campuses in Trinidad, Mona, Jamaica and Barbados
offers undergraduate and post graduate programmes
for 3,300 students in the areas of Agriculture,
Business Administration, Engineering, Humanities,
Languages, Law, Natural and Social Sciences.
• The Institute of Business offers Post
Graduate courses on business related topics.
• The National Institute of Higher Education,
Research and Technology operates a College of
Health Science, Nursing, a School of Languages
and Information Technology skills.
• The Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex
is one of the leading facilities of its kind
in the Caribbean.
• Trinidad and Tobago have a well-educated
work force of over 500,000 with an adult literacy
rate of approximately 80/85%.
School Boy to Hero
A real success story - Dwight Yorke – brought
up and educated in Tobago, he was signed by
Aston Villa from his home club, St. Clair’s
Coaching School in 1989 for £120,000 and
signed later for Manchester United for £12.6
million! In recognition of his outstanding achievement
and success he was awarded Tobago’s highest
honour “The Keys to The Capital”.
The Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet is named
in honour of Tobago’s “homegrown”
international football star.
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