The Bahamas boast an adult literacy rate of more than 95 per cent. The educational system comprises mostly of public schools controlled by the government. The Bahamas Government approximates as much as 24 per cent of its National Budget is allocated to education. .
Education is given high priority in The Bahamas. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16. The government fully operates 158 of the 210 primary and secondary schools in The Bahamas as of 1999. 52 schools are privately operated. School begins from nursery (age 3) or kindergarten (age 4) all the way up to high school (grade 12).