Legal definition of compulsory school age and school-attendance provisions.
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Education in Dominica
DATACompulsory age: 5 to 16
Compulsory age: 5 to 16 路 Primary schools: 60
Dominica's official education sources give a clear legal and administrative snapshot. The Education Act defines compulsory school age as 5 to 16, while the Ministry's School Operations Unit supervises a system of 60 primary and 16 secondary schools. The Education Act defines compulsory school age from five years of age to sixteen years of age. The Ministry's School Operations Unit reports 60 primary and 16 secondary schools across the island.
Dominica education snapshot
Dominica's Education Act gives a precise compulsory-age range, and the Ministry's School Operations Unit supplies the size of the primary and secondary school network.
Compulsory school age
5 to 16
Primary schools
60*
Secondary schools
16*
Education districts
5*
* Reference years and benchmark targets are labelled with the figures.
How the education pathway works
The legal compulsory-school-age period begins at five and extends to sixteen, with primary and secondary schools forming the core school pathway.
| Stage | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Early childhood | Under school age | Early-childhood provision sits before compulsory primary schooling and is overseen within the education administration. |
| Primary education | From age 5 | Children enter the compulsory-school-age range from age five under the Education Act. |
| Secondary education | Later compulsory years | Secondary schools continue the school pathway through the upper end of compulsory school age. |
| Tertiary and training | After secondary | Post-secondary education and training follow after the compulsory school-age period. |
Key evidence
Dominica's page uses the Education Act for the age rule and the Ministry for the current school-network structure.
| Indicator or rule | Value | Reference | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory school age | 5 to 16 | Education Act 1997 | Government of Dominica |
| Primary schools | 60 | Current ministry page | Ministry of Education |
| Secondary schools | 16 | Current ministry page | Ministry of Education |
| Supervision districts | 5 | Current ministry page | Ministry of Education |
* Reference years and benchmark targets are labelled with the figures.
A small system with a clearly documented legal range
Dominica's compulsory school-age definition is unusually direct in the legislation: five to sixteen. The same law governs school attendance through the school year in which the upper age is reached, subject to its detailed provisions.
The Ministry's operations page adds the present administrative picture, with 60 primary schools, 16 secondary schools and five supervision districts. Those figures describe the school network, not student enrolment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the compulsory school age in Dominica?
The Education Act defines compulsory school age as from 5 years of age to 16 years of age.
How many primary schools are in Dominica's school system?
The Ministry's School Operations Unit reports 60 primary schools.
How many secondary schools are listed?
The Ministry reports 16 secondary schools.
Do the school counts on this page represent student enrolment?
No. They are counts of schools in the Ministry-supervised school system, not numbers of students.
Sources and methodology
The Education Act is used for the compulsory-age rule; the Ministry's operations page is used for current school and supervision-district counts.
Current administrative description of 60 primary schools, 16 secondary schools and supervision districts.
Official index of education legislation and amendments.
Methodology: Dominica's 60 primary and 16 secondary figures are counts of schools under the Ministry's operations structure. They are not converted into pupil totals or participation rates.