Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entrance age to pre-primary education in 2024 is 3 years old. However, there is no mandatory number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks, nor number of years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks. For 2023, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 83.94%.
Governance
The financing of pre-primary education in Dominica remains centralised, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence.
Tuition-free status
There is no mandatory number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Resources are directly allocated from the central level to schools.
2. Education resources to institutions
In 2012, the Government of Dominica launched the Universal Access to Early Childhood Development initiative to ensure quality early education. Existing private preschools were integrated into primary schools to create suitable learning environments.
The Ministry of Education provides financial support to each registered ECD facility, which offers early stimulation for children. No equity-targeted government subsidies to public pre-primary institutions have been identified.
There are also privately funded equity programmes such as OECS PEARL that provides funds aimed at the development and enhancement of Early Childhood Education.
3. Education resources to students and families
In 2024, the government made direct, time-bound payments to support children in private preschools through monthly payments for over 2,500 children enrolled in privately-owned preschools for the first term of 2024/25. No other programme has been identified.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No social policies aimed at improving access to pre-primary education have been identified.
