ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC—The Grenada government has successfully tabled legislation amending the Education Act to increase the compulsory school age to 17. It had previously been from five to 16.
The measures will go into effect at the start of the new academic term in September.
The Dickon Mitchell administration said that the move is laying the foundation for starting to address some critical issues confronting the island’s development.
The Leader of Government Business, Phillip Telesford, tabled the legislation, which will amend the Education Act by redefining compulsory school age.
“By increasing it to 17 inclusive, it means that a child ought to remain in school until he or she attains age 17. This Bill is important because it sets the foundation for addressing some critical issues confronting us in our growing economy and developing island.
“We campaigned speaking on the good development of our young people, our youths, and one of the elements that spoke to the development was that of skills training, and so our government is setting the platform to implement skills training throughout the system,” said Phillip, who is also the Health Minister.
He told legislators that “this is guaranteeing that every child that leaves the school system should have at least a skill that we believe is important because those skills will develop passions, and those passions if followed well and managed well, can result in people developing wonderful and prosperous careers, businesses and other dreams.”
Prime Minister Mitchell, in his contribution to the debate, said that the amendment is just a foundational piece and that he is adjusting it to a wider construct of how his government is dealing with education in Grenada.
“You ought not to be given a choice to say you are exiting the education system…There is a notion that compulsory education ends with secondary school, but that is part of the challenge we have in the education system,” he said
Though the Employment Act defines the working age as 16, Prime Minister Mitchell said that people of that age cannot be legally hired “because employment is a legal agreement, a contract,” and the age for legal responsibility is 18.
He said there will be an amendment to the Employment Act as part of the process, indicating that the move is not a cure for the many challenges facing young people. “It is the beginning of putting in place one of the architectural frameworks as we begin to make sure that we don’t have a significant number of students exiting school without a skill; this will give them an opportunity,” he said.
The Bill is scheduled for debate and approval at the June 6 sitting of the Upper House.
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