World News

Dear Sir:

An education debate appears to be emerging in Barbados over the issue of the percentage of new students that should be allowed at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.The debate was triggered by a suggestion of Professor Michael Howard that the flow of students to the cave Hill Campus be slowed in order to help to ease the pressure on Government finances.

A prompt reply was given by Professor Hilary Beckles, describing this suggestion as being anti-intellectual, adding further that education should be regarded as an investment, rather than as expenditure. This idea of increased numbers versus cost has long been an issue in education, with basically both positions reacting in the same way as we see here, in defending their stances. However, I would like to look at the issue of cost saving versus access in higher education from a wider perspective.

If the issue of cost is taken into account over numbers, it would mean a severe cutback on the development of further talent, which is necessary to meet the ever expanding needs of a developing economy. This would further mean that talent and skills would have to be imported, which implies a greater outlay of expenditure than educating indigenous human resources. Furthermore, reduced numbers would limit the amount and quality of entrepreneurs that could be developed, which are necessary to foster new innovations, and enhance creativity at the workplace and in the society.

Again, if cost is taken into account over numbers, it could result in a cutback in the expansion and development of new business ventures that could provide employment for additional persons, which talented and educated persons could benefit from. The quality of goods and services which skilled people could provide would also be further enhanced.

By accepting and educating a greater percentage of persons to the higher education pool, it would augment the potential of the society to become more skilled and knowledgeable in developing various strategies to solve pressing issues. When more people are educated, a greater diversity of ideas would emerge aa well as a more sophisticated approach in defining and implementing strategies and policies.

Greater access to higher education impacts positively on the quality of persons entering politics and the professions, and contributes to the realization of a highly educated citizenry. In addition, even if some should migrate to other countries, the remittances they send home could add to the quality of life, and to the general savings of the country’s economic institutions, which would mean there is more capital to utilize in furthering the development process, and meeting fiscal commitments.

What this whole debate means, is that there is a need to look at the way in which Caribbean economists are trained. For too long, the suggestion given when economic challenges arise is to cut back, rather than seek out new developmental initiatives, and employing more creative thinking in bringing about the greatest good for the greatest number. Countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, even China, have concentrated on the development of their human resources to solve the problems of development. Limiting the development of human resources by reducing access to higher education could result in a negative backlash in terms of additional social problems which could result in even greater expenditure in efforts to mitigate the problem.

Further training and development on the other hand would enhance the well being of individuals in particular, and the society in general, and even contribute to a more ethical and intelligent public.

Oliver Mills

Source: Caribbean Net News