By Patrick Brendel, Cayman Current
It can be argued that the true test of a society’s school system is how educated the local workforce is.
Whatever you think about that statement, the Cayman Islands’ population as a whole has become better educated over the past decade, according to the Cayman Islands’ 2021 Census of Population and Housing Report.
However, in terms of the highest education qualification obtained, Caymanians remain behind their non-Caymanian counterparts.
Whole population, age 15 years and over
In terms of the whole population, 44% of people had a secondary school diploma or no diploma at all in 2021, compared to 51% in 2010.
In 2021, 31% of people had a bachelor’s degree or better, compared to 25% in 2010.
Caymanians and non-Caymanians
It’s clear that, on paper, non-Caymanians have higher levels of qualifications than Caymanians.
About half of Caymanians had a secondary school diploma or no diploma at all, according to the Census. For non-Caymanians, that was 38%.
About 25% of Caymanians had a bachelor’s degree or better, compared to 37% of non-Caymanians.
In terms of the percentage with vocational training, non-Caymanians again had the edge on Caymanians, 16% to 12%.
Women and men
Breaking it out by gender, women in Cayman are generally better educated than men.
About 41% of women had a secondary school diploma or no diploma at all, compared to 47% of men.
About 34% of women had a bachelor’s degree or better, compared to 27% of men.
Men were more likely to have a vocational certificate – 16% – compared to women – 12%.
Locally, the gender gap in education persists down through the school system, with girls outperforming boys on standardised tests every year.
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