JUST more than a quarter of the primary schools which entered students to sit the Grade Four Numeracy and Literacy Tests last year had fewer than 15 students enrolled in that grade.

That represents 199 schools or 26 per cent of the 764 in the Ministry of Education’s six regions.In 2015, the then Education Minister Ronald Thwaites made the argument that some 200 public schools offering primary level education (primary, all-age and junior high) were underutilised, with enrolment of 100 students or less.He said 18 schools were scheduled to be closed then, saving Government approximately $23 million.Thwaites noted that, in most cases, enrolment had declined steadily as some communities where the schools were located the population had been declining, with a small number of youth and many older people as residents.A ministry advertisement, published yesterday, showed that in, Region 1, which covers Kingston and St Andrew, a total of 10 schools had fewer than 15 students enrolled in the grade. Kingston accounted for two, while St Andrew accounted for eight.In Region 2, which covers St Thomas, Portland and St Mary, 58 schools formed part of the aforementioned figure.St Ann and Trelawny, which make up the ministry’s Region 3, accounted for 20 and five schools respectively, while Region 4, which includes St James, Hanover and Westmoreland, accounted for 38 schools.Regions 5 and 6 which include St Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon, St Catherine respectively accounted for 68 schools.Some schools had as few as one student enrolled in grade four.There has been a decline in the national averages by six percentage points for literacy and four percentage points for numeracy at the grade four level, the education ministry announced on Monday.