Universal Secondary Education in the OECS: Policy and Access, Quality and Rewards

Introduction: The Policy Landscape
Formal education at the primary and secondary levels is firmly entrenched in the sociocultural
fabric of OECS and Caribbean countries. The provision of primary education at a
social cost to the population of OECS countries accords with the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The following Articles 28 and 29 summarized read:

(28) -The child has the right to education; …
(29) -The child’s education should be directed to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental
and physical abilities to their fullest potential (UN, 1989).