Grenada

Grenada, a tiny island in the Caribbean, occupies the southern-most position in the Windward Islands chain. It is 344 square kilometers (about twice the size of Washington, DC) and, in 2000, the population was estimated at approximately 99,700 persons. English is the official language, but a French patois is also spoken.

The first schools in Grenada were split among religious denominations: Anglican schools, Methodist schools, and, the smallest, Roman Catholic schools. In the mid-part of the nineteenth century, education was not a priority in Grenada. In 1845 only 2.3 percent of the island's budget was spent on education. Although the situation improved, it did so slowly; figures from 1852 show that the percentage of the budget spent on education grew to 5 percent.

During the year 1848, education of the working class in Grenada fell drastically due to the limited financial resources of the government and people. The legislators were reluctant to provide funds for education. Some success was achieved in 1868 when the legislature voted its first grant of 50 pounds for schools.

As the turn of the century approached, interest in schools and education continued to grow. In 1882, the Grenadian legislature enacted a new Education Ordinance that:

1. Made grants-in-aid available to assist schools that reached certain standards in terms of their enrollment and academic results.
2. Provided for the establishment of schools in areas where no assisted schools existed.
3. Doubled the education vote between 1881 and 1882.
4. Allowed funds to be allocated toward the appointment of an Inspector of Schools.
5. Permitted the Roman Catholics to have a 50 percent representation on the Board of Education.

Education in Grenada changed dramatically in 1889; it was during this year that Governor Sendall declared that the financial allocations to education were inadequate and called for the establishment of governmentowned and operated schools, the first public schools on the island. The colony continued its financial support for denominational schools, which still remain an important part of the educational system.