Education in Jamaica - Secondary Education

Secondary Education

• Lower School - Forms 1-3 (Ages 10-13 or 14)or grades 7-9.

Students are exposed to a wide range of subjects, including Spanish and French as 2nd languages. Generally, Integrated Science is generally taught until the 3rd form, where students begin taking Physics, Biology and Chemistry as separate subjects. Some schools group students based on their academic achievement the year prior. This can greatly impact what subjects some students might be able to take later on in school, and what teachers they might be assigned to.

• Upper School - Forms 4 & 5 or grades 10-11

In 4th form, students choose anywhere from 6-10 subjects (8 is the standard) that they will sit in the Caribbean Examination Council's O-Level school leaving examinations. Students are free to create their own curricula which must include but cannot be limited to: Mathematics and English Language all others are optional though some schools tend to make at least 1 other compulsory. Most students take at least one foreign language. Other subjects include: History, Geography, Agricultural Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish, French, Accounting, Principles of Business, Information Technology, Religious Education, Technical Drawing, Art, Theater Arts and about 21 others. Generally students are informally classified, or classify themselves as Arts, Sciences, Industrial Arts and Business students, especially if they plan on going to 6th form.

• Grading: Some exams can be taken at either the Basic or General Proficiency levels, the latter being more common. Exams are graded from Grades 1 to 6 (up to 7, if A-Level). 1 is a pass with distinction, 2 a pass with credit. 3 is a satisfactory level pass and 4 and below is either a failure, or a 'basic-level' pass.

• Sixth Form Divided into upper and lower sixth, or grades 12 (lower) and 13 (upper)

Sixth form is an optional, two years long, advanced post secondary program, at the end of which students write the CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams). These are the equivalent of the GCE A-Level examinations which were the standard up until 2003. Some students still choose to sit A-levels if they wish, but in doing so they must still meet CAPE's basic subject requirements/groupings. CAPE and A-level exams are significantly harder than exams sat at the end of high school, and are often thought to be harder than most exams students will ever sit in university. Entry into Sixth Form is extremely competitive, especially in rural and suburban Jamaica, where there are fewer high schools with sixth form, serving larger areas.