THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS

Secondary Education in Trinidad and Tobago was traditionally designed for the upper class. The masses who supported secondary education through their taxes had no access to secondary education. The introduction of a highly competitive examination in the year 1872 made allowance for six pupils from the elementary school system to enter Queen's Royal College. While changes were experienced in the field of education, the country itself was undergoing changes in its economic and political landscapes. In 1956 the Peoples' National Movement came to power and led the country to independence in 1962. This government was committed to the idea of democratizing secondary education in the interest of social equality and economic development.;This study shows that free access to the secondary school system in Trinidad and Tobago does not guarantee equal outcome. The democratization of secondary education in Trinidad and Tobago is not altering the social class contradiction but seems to be supporting it. While the democratization of secondary education has qualified more people to function in a changing economy, it does not seen to be working in the direction of altering the class system that has been a heritage of the society since the abolition of slavery. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).;The study examines the democratization process to determine how far equalization of opportunity has been accomplished. The findings show that the secondary school system in Trinidad and Tobago is divided into high performing schools and low performing schools. High performing schools are those which receive a large number of good quality passes in the G.C.E. examination. On the contrary, low performing schools are those schools which receive high number of failure and incomplete certificates, and high percentage of low level passes in the G.C.E. examination. The high performing schools are almost synonymous with the Assisted Secondary schools, while the Government Secondary and Comprehensive schools comprise the bulk of the low performing schools. An examination of students' socio-economic background reveal that the majority of students who attend the Comprehensive schools are of lower socio-economic status than the majority of those attending the Assisted Secondary schools.