For decades, successive governments of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica have anchored their policy philosophy in the core principle of “all shall eat.” Rooted in the reality of limited natural and institutional resources, this guiding ideology demands that every member of society gets an equitable share of the island’s opportunities. This commitment has historically translated to tangible public goods, from large-scale public housing projects to widespread investments in indoor plumbing access for underserved rural communities. When it comes to education, this principle has evolved beyond basic access to foundational literacy and numeracy to demand that learning opportunities remain open regardless of a student’s socio-economic background, race, religion, or geographic location.
Before the early 2000s, Dominica’s secondary education system faced a stark capacity crisis. The limited number of secondary schools and their small enrollment meant that only top performers on the national Common Entrance Examination could secure a spot. Most of these successful candidates came from elite urban primary schools, concentrated in the capital Roseau, while rural and low-income students were systematically locked out of traditional secondary education. For students who did not pass the entrance exam, the government offered the Junior Secondary Programme (JSP), a three-year skills-focused initiative that combined core academic coursework (English and mathematics) with vocational training in trades like plumbing, carpentry, electrical work and agriculture, plus optional classes in music and physical education. Critically, the JSP also created a pathway for late-blooming students to transition into traditional secondary education after strengthening their foundational skills.
In 1998, driven by the goal of achieving universal secondary education aligned with regional sustainable development targets, the government phased out the JSP. Backed by the 1997 Education Act, which enshrined the right of all children to education, and with financial and technical support from the World Bank, the initiative led to the construction of new secondary schools (including Isaiah Thomas Secondary and Castle Bruce Secondary) and the expansion of existing campuses, plus targeted training for educators. By the late 2000s, nearly all primary school leavers were able to enroll in secondary education, with new campuses bringing schooling within closer reach of rural communities. This expansion opened unprecedented pathways to tertiary education and professional careers for thousands of Dominican students.
Yet for all this progress, the shift away from the JSP left critical gaps unaddressed, meaning the universal secondary education project has only delivered half of its promised benefits. The JSP filled two unique niches that current reforms have failed to replace: it allowed slower-learning students to progress at their own pace, and it gave students with a natural aptitude for vocational trades the chance to build marketable skills for rewarding careers. When the JSP was eliminated, policymakers discarded these core functions without putting adequate replacement systems in place.
Today, vocational training is scattered across traditional secondary schools, and ability grouping (or streaming) has replaced the JSP’s tailored support for slower learners. But the current model is deeply flawed: even when students are separated by ability, all learners are still expected to master the same volume of content in the same timeframe, regardless of their learning speed. Worse, remedial classes for struggling students are often staffed by underqualified educators with no specialized training in special education, while top-performing tracks get the most experienced and skilled teachers. The education system also lacks the diagnostic capacity to identify the root of students’ learning challenges and deliver targeted support to address them.
Another widespread practice that highlights systemic misalignment is social promotion: students who fail to meet grade-level performance standards are often pushed to the next level simply because they are approaching 16, the age when compulsory education ends. While this practice avoids the social harm of holding students back a grade when no support is offered, it does nothing to address the underlying learning gaps that hold students back.
At its core, the systemic failure stems from a persistent misunderstanding of what universal education actually means. Many policymakers and educators still cling to a one-size-fits-all model that prioritizes traditional academic coursework for all students, ignoring the reality that not all learners thrive in lecture-based, theoretical learning environments. Many students have natural aptitudes for hands-on trades, but current vocational offerings across most public secondary schools are underfunded, underdeveloped, and treated as second-tier alternatives to core academic subjects. Vocational curricula are often overly theoretical, lacking the hands-on practical training that makes these pathways valuable, and few students graduate with the skills to work independently as skilled or semi-skilled tradespeople. Most notably, Dominica has no dedicated standalone vocational education institutions, a stark contrast to neighboring Caribbean countries like Jamaica (with its Heart Trust NTA) and Trinidad and Tobago (with the MIC Institute of Technology) that have built successful specialized vocational systems.
The persistent gaps in tailored vocational and adaptive learning have contributed to high youth dropout rates and elevated youth unemployment, particularly among young men. True universal education, the article argues, is not just about getting every student into a classroom until age 16—it is about providing education that is tailored to each student’s unique learning needs and strengths. Extending the original “all shall eat” metaphor, the author notes that universal access means nothing if the education provided does not meet the needs of every learner: “all indeed shall eat, but the food should be good, and it must be able to satisfy the hunger of all who eat it.”
In recent years, growing recognition of these gaps has led to repeated calls from former education ministers and other stakeholders to reintroduce the JSP or a comparable modern vocational program. The current government has responded with a plan to convert the reconstructed Goodwill Secondary School into a Centre of Excellence for technical and vocational education, with planned programs in robotics, cosmetology, carpentry and other in-demand trades. While the initiative holds promise, its impact will depend on how well it addresses the historical shortcomings of the current system.
In the short term, the author outlines clear steps to improve outcomes: strengthen existing vocational programs with rigorous, regularly updated curricula and qualified, trained instructors; prioritize specialized training for educators working in remedial and special education roles; improve foundational literacy and numeracy instruction at the primary level, since vocational options are useless for students who lack core basic skills; and invest in diagnostic facilities to identify and address learning difficulties early. As these changes are implemented, Dominica can finally move toward a truly universal education system that delivers on its founding promise of opportunity for all.
