The number of students transferring out of public schools is increasing year-on-year, according to recently released figures.

Transfers of both primary and middle school students have been rising since 2012, said Minister of Education Wayne Scott, in response to questions from PLP backbencher Walton Brown.

The number of senior students leaving the public system, however, fell last year, bucking the trend.

In 2012, a total of 13 students transferred from public primary and secondary schools, but that figure increased to 63 in 2013, 108 in 2014 and 153 last year. Of the 337 students who transferred during that period, 247 went overseas while 31 went to private schools and 12 to home schools.

Meanwhile, a total of 22 students transferred from public senior schools in 2012. That number rose to 26 in 2013 and 76 in 2014, but fell to 30 last year. As with the younger students, the majority of the transferred students found themselves enrolled in schools overseas. A total of 23 students went to home schools, while ten switched to private schools.

Mr Scott denied a suggestion that the increasing transfer numbers were an indictment of the public education system, telling the House that in many cases the transfers were due to families leaving the island and noting occasions when multiple siblings are transferred overseas at the same time. In other cases, he said the students were seeking placement in speciality programmes, such as those that focus on athletics.

“I think it’s important to note that this is a trend that we started to see in 2011-2012 and has continued,” he said.