Fewer students enrolled in Sixth-Form Pathways Programme in 2023/24, but education minister satisfied
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams is reporting that 21,701 students have enrolled in the Sixth-Form Pathways Programme for the 2023/2024 academic year.
This is a decline compared to the 24,245 students who were enrolled in the programme last year.
Williams made the disclosure on Wednesday (November 15), during a post-Cabinet press briefing.
“Initial enrollment for this academic year stands at 21,701, with 169 high schools and 40 tertiary or post-secondary centres participating. We want to commend all those institutions that continue to be on board, we know our students are engaged very deeply and meaningfully in the Sixth-Form Pathways Programme,” she said.
The education minister said this decline in enrolment comes despite stakeholder engagements consisting of 95 regional multi-school parent-teacher sessions held islandwide, 153 special meetings facilitated with grade-11 students, including students of independent schools, and resensitisation sessions with secondary school staff.
The Sixth-Form Pathways Programme was launched in 2020, during the pandemic to allow students to graduate from secondary institutions with an occupational associate degree, a certificate, or a diploma.
“As we look back on 2022/2023, we are delighted that about 43 per cent of the students completed some 80 hours of work experience and that will continue as well for the new cohort coming on board,” Williams noted.
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