The number of students enrolled in Cayman Islands government schools for the 2021/22 school year is essentially the same as it was last year.
Compared to 2020/21, enrolment in public primary schools is down by about 2%, while enrolment in public secondary schools is up by about 2.5%. Overall, if you exclude the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre (CIFEC) and Lighthouse School, enrolment remained almost identical from year to year, at just under 4,700 students.
The enrolment statistics were released by the Department of Education Services (DES) in response to a Freedom of Information request from the Cayman Current.
In early September, Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said that enrolment in government schools was approximately 5,200 students, which would have been a significant increase from previous years.
However, that figure would also include CIFEC, Lighthouse School and government students enrolled in dual-entry programmes, pursuing A-Levels at other institutions.
For this year, 265 students are at CIFEC and 160 students are in dual-entry programmes. Lighthouse Schoool has 115 students.
According to DES, private school enrolment numbers are not yet available but will be collected for the annual Education Data Report.
Here is a table of public school enrolment figures: