I am a student at an accredited tertiary level institute. I am one of the very many citizens of this country to benefit from the Gate programme.
I have noticed lately that a number of people are posting on social media bashing the Government over the issue of Gate funding when they have not made a final decision to date.
Media houses are causing us students to panic and for what? Absolutely nothing! I agree that it is nerve-wracking awaiting the decision but at this moment there really is not much that we can do as students. It is currently before the Parliament.
I also believe that the decision to only have a representative from the UWI Guild and not other accredited tertiary level institutions was poor as he cannot speak to the effects on all tertiary level students. Hence the report from the Task Force to the Minister of Education did not accurately reflect the opinions of all tertiary level students within this country. However, it has already been done and so be it. When a final decision is made public then and only then can we decide on an appropriate course of action.
We as citizens of this beloved country feel as though the government is obligated to fund tertiary education, but that is not so. It is a privilege that we are afforded in this country and we should be thankful for it. If it were not for the Gate programme many of us would not have even dreamt about pursuing a tertiary education.
I agree that many students with access to Gate have abused the system but that percentage of students does not represent those of us who are meeting the requirements, semester after semester, year after year.
It is no secret that the Gate programme needs revision but I believe that any changes and implementation of new requirements should be done gradually, so students can have ample time to adjust and put things in place to ensure that funding is covered so that in the end we can contribute positively to the country of T&T.
Leah N Khan,
La Romaine