St. Andrew has More Educated People Than Other Parishes

There are more educated people in St. Andrew than any other parish in Jamaica, with 312,370 persons age 15 years and over, having at least a secondary education. This represents 80.37 per cent of the 388,628 persons in that age group residing in the parish and 56.2 per cent of its total population of 555,828.
This was revealed by the 2001 Population Census, which contains the most comprehensive sets of data on the Jamaican population. It is highly useful for planners, and policy makers, who in recent times have been giving increased recognition to the interrelationship between population and development. Compared with the nation as a whole, St. Andrew fared better in relative terms. With 1,252,018 Jamaicans having at least a secondary education, this represents 71.36 per cent of the 1,754,384 persons in the 15 years and over age group, and 48 per cent of the total population.
The dominance of St. Andrew as the parish with the most educated people, mirrors its upscale features and its status as the seat of tertiary education and health facilities. However, it hides the fact that only 315,940 persons or 56.8 per cent of those residing there were born in the parish. The remaining 239,888 persons came from other parishes to take advantage of opportunities for education and work.
In terms of the 41,051 persons born in St. Andrew that have migrated to other parishes, 29,724 moved to St. Catherine, where many housing units have been built through the Government’s Operation Pride and the National Housing Trust (NHT), particularly in Portmore.
The 11.5 per cent migration rate for St. Andrew was the lowest in the island, reflecting the strategic importance of the parish as a residential area. It has the most households with access to piped-borne water, considered a key reflection of the standard of living and well being of a population, with serious implication for the health and productivity of workers in the parish.
The next most popular parishes to which people from St. Andrew have migrated are, Kingston, with 2,337 persons; St. Thomas, 1,544; Manchester, 1,428; and St. Mary, 1,317. Montego Bay in St. James and Ocho Rios in St. Ann were obviously not targeted, with just over 1,000 persons moving there. Migration rates represent a useful summary to demonstrate the extent of the movement between parishes.