Chapter 10: Were Five Years Wasted?: Exploring Rural Education in Trinidad and Tobago

Today, the twin island country of Trinidad and Tobago offers education through the lens of global trends and, by so doing, overlooks possibilities for rural school and community development. This chapter presents a description of a study aiming to explore rural community members’ perceptions of the role rural schools play in promoting local economic development. The study involved 12 former students of a secondary school located in a rural coastal community in Trinidad and Tobago. I investigate the research question, “What are perceptions of rural community members who attended one rural secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago, regarding their schools’ ability to contribute to economic opportunities in its local community?” The results revealed a consensus among participants that the school should provide learning opportunities which contribute to the economic development of their local region. Most participants, however, expressed dissatisfaction toward the school’s ability to adequately address the economic realities of its students and community.