Representatives of the University of the West Indies' (UWI) Guild of Students, St Augustine Campus, do not agree with calls for the removal of the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (Gate) programme and the re-introduction of the Dollar-for-Dollar Programme.
Dr Roger Hosein, UWI's co-ordinator of the Trade and Economic Development Unit, was reported yesterday in the T&T Guardian as calling for Gate's removal. Hosein said it was a drain on the economy and that many students who were financially well off were wasting taxpayers' money.
Four representatives of the Inter-Campus Guild Council, which covers all four campuses (Mona, Jamaica; Cave Hill, Barbados; St Augustine, T&T and the Open Campus) met with the T&T Guardian at the Guild Conference Room, St Augustine, yesterday.
Inter-Campus Guild Council meetings were held from November 5 to November 9. St Augustine's Guild vice-president Candice Allain said, "I don't think Gate should be removed." Even though the Government paid the tuition, she said, many people could not afford food, transportation and other necessities of a university education.
Allain said many of her friends who received assistance under the Dollar-for-Dollar plan, implemented under former prime minister Basdeo Panday during his 1995-2001 tenure, were now burdened by loans. She suggested Gate regulations should be properly implemented. She admitted there were students who abused the system by constantly changing degree programmes, repeatedly failing courses and taking four or five years to complete three-year degrees.
Allain said the Government should revisit Gate and seek to enforce the stipulations, such as paying for the courses failed after four years. Many students, she said, were unaware of the value of receiving free tertiary education. She suggested students should receive some form of academic counselling before starting tertiary education.
Allain's colleagues, Mervin-Alwyn Agiste (PRO, St Augustine), Terron Dewar (vice-president, Mona Campus), Damian Belgrave (president, Cave Hill Campus) shared her sentiments. Agiste, a St Lucian studying at St Augustine, said students would value their degrees more if they understood the sacrifices being made by taxpayers.
He said the university admitted the quality of students dropped but stressed the university would be looking at its entry requirements to ensure a high standard of students.
Dollar-for-Dollar: Tertiary students, using dollar-for-dollar, matched the Government's 50 per cent contribution for their tertiary education. The programme was implemented by former PM Basdeo Panday. Gate: A tertiary student's full tuition is paid using Gate, once the student has gained entry into an accredited institution. The programme was implemented under the Patrick Manning-led People's National Movement (PNM) government.
