I wish to commend the government on this occasion for their recommendations for the reform of the Gate programme. What opposition politicians have failed to recognise is that government revenues have fallen drastically with the decline of prices in the energy sector, and the complete absence of a property tax.
The former Minister for Tertiary Education should be aware of the money frittered away in the recent past on vanity projects such as landing a jet at Campden Village in Couva.
We need to consider whether this country should be expected to fund tuition costs at the level of the university. Having endured a lifetime of struggle to gain an education, I remain firmly convinced that without struggles and sacrifice education is often devalued. I support any strategy for student loans, bursaries based on performance and for the introduction of educational bonds.
I am also happy that a means test has been introduced. Those who argue for equality or sameness of treatment should understand that the disadvantaged will require more support than those who are economically able. I also commend government for providing support for postgraduate programmes that target studies that are aligned to national development priorities. Carefully selected postgraduate research can add new knowledge to the store that we require to diversify the economy.
However, the university authorities should ensure that teaching and learning move away from simple recall of information towards providing opportunities for problem identification, problem solving and critical thinking, within the context of our real situation in T&T.
Postgraduate students should have periods of attachments to major projects being undertaken in T&T. Furthermore, the universities should take steps to apprise the wider population of the research done by candidates for the award of postgraduate degrees so that some of the ideas found can be monetised.
I would like to have a change so that the 50-year-old student ceiling is removed to allow experienced students to pursue studies that are aligned to developmental priorities.
I would also like to see a more rigorous accreditation process that goes beyond institutional accreditation to include programme accreditation. In other words, we must ensure that programme content truly reflects the expectations produced by the programme titles.
There are many institutions in T&T whose faculty and programmes are suspect. We need to steer programme content and delivery towards the requirements for a knowledge-based economy where knowledge is harnessed as a source of wealth.
In addition, business development should be an integral component of all university programmes.
David Subran PhD,
Montrose, Chaguanas