Supporting The Public Sector of Barbados

public-sector

Education

Public spending on education was 5.6 per cent of GDP in 2012. There are 11 years of compulsory education starting at the age of five. Primary school comprises six years and secondary five, with some 93 per cent of pupils completing primary school (2010). Computers are widely available to schools. There are a number of private primary and secondary schools on the island.

The University of the West Indies has a campus at Cave Hill, Barbados, as well as in Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. A UNESCO Chair in Educational Technologies was established in 1999 at the Barbados campus of the University of the West Indies. Other tertiary institutions include the Barbados Community College, with its Hospitality Institute; Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic; and Erdiston College (offering teacher education). The female–male ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education is 2.5:1 (2011). There is virtually no illiteracy among people aged 15–24.

 

Health

Public spending on health was four per cent of GDP in 2012. Barbados has a national health service, with the general health profile and life expectancy of a developed country. Infant mortality was 13 per 1,000 live births in 2013 (74 in 1960). In 2013, 0.9 per cent of people aged 15–49 were HIV positive. A network of district hospitals and polyclinics provide state health care across the island, with the largest hospital being the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown. Bayview, on the outskirts of Bridgetown, is a major private hospital.

 

Transport

A good road network of 1,600 km (virtually all paved) covers the entire island, with a trans-insular highway from Bridgetown to the east coast. Bridgetown is a deep-water port with a cruise ship terminal and yacht harbour. Grantley Adams International Airport is 13 km east of Bridgetown.

Buses: The Barbados Transport Board runs the state-owned bus service, offering a fixed-fee fare of Bds $2 for most services. Private companies also run minibus services across the island.