Education in Suriname
overview of education in Suriname
The education in Suriname was initially set up in analogy to the Dutch education system. In terms of structure, the education system is now a mixture of school types that were common in the Netherlands before, during and after the Mammoetwet.
The language of instruction is Dutch; mainly Surinamese Dutch. The four exceptions to this rule are the International Academy of Suriname, administered by a local Christian foundation, Christian Liberty Academy, administered by the Caribbean Christian Ministries, and the AlphaMax Academy, a private nonsectarian school administered by the AlphaMax Foundation, and since 2011 Suriname International School, which provides k12 online school for high school students.
The adult literacy rate is 94.4%.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) finds that Suriname is fulfilling only 61.6% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income. HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration Suriname's income level, the nation is achieving 64.7% of what should be possible based on its resources (income) for primary education but only 58.4% for secondary education.
Education system
Elementary school
Between the ages of four and twelve children attend elementary school. In Suriname this is known as the "basisschool", which literally translates to "foundation school".
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