Concept Paper for the Development of A CARICOM Strategic Plan for Tertiary Education Services in the CARICOM Single Market & Economy (CSME)

Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie

Pro Vice Chancellor

Planning and Development

The University of the West Indies

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Tertiary Education: WHAT DO WE MEAN? UNESCO defines Higher Education as:

“All types of studies, training or training for research at the post secondary level, provided by universities or other educational establishments that are approved as institutions of higher learning by competent state authorities.”

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Tertiary Education: WHAT DO WE MEAN? From the Vision 2020 sub-committee report on

Tertiary Education (Trinidad & Tobago):

“The teaching and learning process that occurs following the completion of secondary education and provides academic credits and competencies that lead to certificates, diplomas and degrees from universities, university colleges, polytechnics, community colleges and similar institutions.”

Trinidad & Tobago’s Vision 2020 Sub-Committee Report on Tertiary Education

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QUICK OVERVIEW OF TERTIARY SECTOR

1948- University College of the West Indies, first university-33 students.

2009- 150 institutions- public, private & offshore. Approximately 90 000 students enrolled at tertiary

level. 41 000 in UWI alone. Largest tertiary institution besides UWI- University of

Technology (UTech- 8 632). Most others between a few hundred and less than

four thousand.

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PUBLIC, PRIVATE, LOCAL, REGIONAL, INTERNATIONAL

Of the 150 tertiary institutions: 60% public 30% private including local, joint venture, foreign and

offshore 10% with some level of government support 25-50% are private sector (Jamaica, St. Lucia) 10% are private sector (Trinidad & Tobago)

UWI remains the only, genuinely regional institution in impact, scope and reach and is the premier tertiary institution in the region now 60 years old.

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THROUGHPUT FROM SECONDARY

CXC participation annually

CAPE participation annually

Pool Immediately available for tertiary access annually

130 000

19 000

85 000

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Situation Analysis: Opportunities for Development Recurring themes in the extensive literature on tertiary education in the

region:

Tertiary level institutions in the region foster the advancement of the people within the framework of globalisation.

There is a need for greater access.

There is uneven access, especially in non UWI campus hosting territories.

ICT systems need to be strengthened especially in the context of Distance Education.

Cont’d

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Situation Analysis: Opportunities for Development

Agreed standards are needed to facilitate recognition and mobility.

The need for a Regional Accreditation Agency.

A framework for functional cooperation & collaboration among sector partners is required.

Alignment of the tertiary sector to the requirements and aspirations of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is necessary.

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Targets

A minimum target for tertiary level participation should be an imperative for every country in the region.At the June 2002 CARICOM Summit the participating governments agreed to a 15% tertiary participation rate by 2005.

Trinidad & Tobago has set a target of 60% participation by 2015 and Barbados has set 1 graduate per household by 2010.

Many countries in the region have yet to achieve a 15% participation rate.

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Targets

Country GERCuba 109%

British Virgin Islands 75%

Barbados 30%

USA 82%

UK 59%

Jamaica 19%

Antigua & Barbuda 16%

Guyana 12%

Trinidad & Tobago 15%

St. Lucia 10%

Anguilla 5%

Belize 3%

Regional and international gross enrolment rates (GER) at the tertiary level for selected countries.

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WHAT STORY EMERGES? Even though over the last 60 years the tertiary

landscape has changed dramatically and significant growth and expansion as well as diversity of institutions have taken place:

There is room for growth of the sector and for increased access and participation.

There is room for growth at UWI. There is room for growth at other tertiary institutions

individually. There is room for expansion of the sector. There is room for investment in the sector.

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FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES These have been identified on several occasions in

reports done over the years:

The pivotal role of tertiary level institutions in fostering the social, economic, and cultural advancement of the people of the region.

The need for increased access and higher enrolment. The fragmentation and incoherence of the system and the

need for greater functional co-operation in such areas as articulation to support student mobility, uneven access to educational opportunities especially in those territories not hosting a UWI campus.

(Cont’d)

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FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES

The need to strengthen ICT systems in reach, scope and user friendliness for the purpose of distance education.

The need to rationalise the qualifications framework.

The need for a Regional Accreditation Agency.

The need for a framework for functional co-operation.

The need to align the tertiary sector and its output to the requirements and aspirations of CSME.

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HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE? Limited progress has been made in:

Improvement in participation rates with some countries setting ambitious targets.

On-line, e-learning and multimode delivery. Regional equivalence and articulation. Establishment of a Regional Qualifications Framework

(RQF). Some but not enough progress on Regional Accreditation

Authority. CSME proceeding too slowly. Tertiary trained teachers, one of ten categories of workers

who can move professionally across the region without a work permit.

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GETTING IT RIGHT

STRUCTURE

SYSTEM

BEHAVIOUR

CULTURE

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MAJOR CHALLENGES

A regional policy framework.

A clear strategy forward.

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EFFECTIVE POLICY FRAMEWORK An environmental scan of the regional tertiary sector

indicates: Growth in response to increasing demands for services

and products. The sector is still characterised however, by

fragmentation, insufficient resources, inadequate collaboration/cooperation among its partners and several other factors hindering effectiveness.

This highlights the need for a regional policy framework that will form the basis for the development and implementation of national policies, programmes, and action plans in relation to tertiary education in the region.

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PRIORITY AREAS FOR A POLICY FRAMEWORK

Summary of the priority areas that should constitute a policy framework: Legal framework- regional legislation especially related to

tertiary and higher education in the region needs to be reviewed, rewritten, harmonised and integrated to support the evolution of a seamless tertiary sector across the region.

Regional Qualifications Framework- work in this area needs to be expedited to ensure that qualifications awarded at regional institutions are aligned with regional and extra-regional standards.

Regional Accreditation Regime- which will inter alia undertake accreditation for those countries that cannot sustain their own agency.

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PRIORITY AREAS FOR A POLICY FRAMEWORK (cont’d)

Financing- sustainable financing of tertiary education to meet desired targets and objectives, ensure access for students and to upgrade and expand physical plant and infrastructure.

Participation rates and sustainable development- there is a need to link tertiary education strategy with development and transformation strategy within the context of a strategic plan for the region.

Teacher Education Strategies- a tertiary education strategy must be developed to strengthen the entire tertiary education sector in the region. The UWI has initiated such a strategy but it must be broadened.

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PRIORITY AREAS FOR A POLICY FRAMEWORK (cont’d)

Administration, Management, Leadership- effective training and development programmes at the tertiary level are mandatory not only for teachers but for administrators, managers and leaders at this level.

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STRATEGIC ROLE FOR CARICOM Rethinking and restructuring the system, improving

behaviour and transforming culture is to build a sustainable, responsive system that contributes to the global competitiveness of the regional economy.

The following are suggested imperatives for CARICOM: A strategic plan needs to be developed for CARICOM. The strategy for the regional tertiary sector needs to be

aligned with the trade, diversification and priority development goals in the context of the strategic plan.

Minimum targets for tertiary participation needs to be established. A recommendation of 35% by 2020 is proposed.

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STRATEGIC ROLE FOR CARICOM (cont’d)

The plan for the proposed target should include a negotiated agreement between each country and the UWI.

Each country should develop its own modus operandi for meeting the 35% target over the 10 year period by preparing plan of execution.

National capacity and local standards must be developed and improved to meet regional aspirations and international norms. The UWI should be mandated to perform a key role in achieving this objective.

Excess or highly specialised capacities that exist in selected countries in the region may be deployed through the region by a mixture of teaching and learning techniques in an impactful and cost effective manner.

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STRATEGIC ROLE FOR CARICOM (cont’d)

Establishment of the Regional Accreditation Agency to urgently fulfill the three principal aims of:

i. A seamless system

ii. Free movement of skills

iii. International recognition

Rationalise the tertiary sector in every country so that there are complimentary, supplementary and feeder relationships between national systems and the UWI.

Draw on UWI’s strengths and the knowledge of UWI’s Tertiary Level Institution (TLI) Unit to strengthen the national system as a seamless, effectively articulated system.

Strengthen the primary and secondary education levels to ensure quality throughput to the tertiary sector.

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STRATEGIC ROLE FOR CARICOM (cont’d)

Work through issues of financing plant, infrastructure and equipment, as well as issues of student financing and ensuring sustainable access.

Rationalise the e-learning strategy across the sector for the benefit of the region and design a range of knowledge products of value to the world using this medium.

Commit to build a research enterprise in the region with UWI and the specialised regional research institutions as the foundations to build the research capacity linked to regional needs and solutions and global trends, to include on-going research in the tertiary sector itself.

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THE PRESSING NEED

Rational, orderly system of tertiary institutions meeting needs of the region as well as expected standards globally within a framework of collaboration, co-operation and competition to result in efficiency and effectiveness.

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REINFORCING THE VALUE OF A STRONG TERTIARY SECTOR

MICRO MACRO

EducationEducation Higher GrowthHigher Growth

Increased earnings of neighboursIncreased earnings of neighbours

Participation in the labour forceParticipation in the labour force Increased labour forceIncreased labour force

Increased earnings (higher productivity)Increased earnings (higher productivity)

Lower population growth and better health of population (and labour force)

Lower population growth and better health of population (and labour force)

Externalities and other indirect effects related to education, health and population growth:Higher education attainment and achievement of childrenBetter health and lower mortality of childrenBetter individual healthLower number of births

Externalities and other indirect effects related to education, health and population growth:Higher education attainment and achievement of childrenBetter health and lower mortality of childrenBetter individual healthLower number of births

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Other Benefits

Competitive tertiary sector committed to quality Research enterprise Entrepreneurial culture Ideas generation, social capital, strengthening

democratic participation Inflow of investments supported by knowledge

sector and to knowledge sector Inflow of students from abroad diversification, higher

standard of living

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FURTHER IMPLICATION OF COMPETITIVE TERTIARY SECTOR AND COHERENT SYSTEM

Orderly development and progress within sector with better options for students.

Possibility of rationalising investment strategy in the sector and strengthening general investment strategy based on improved tertiary throughput.

Possibility of creating export capacity encouraging flow of international students.

Supporting the ideas of CSME and making it work.

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FURTHER IMPLICATION OF COMPETITIVE TERTIARY SECTOR AND COHERENT SYSTEM (cont’d)

Building a knowledge sector diversifying economy, enhancing absorptive capacity which can only be done on a strong tertiary platform.

Facilitating an entrepreneurial culture and helping to strengthen democratic institutions.

Creating the framework for strengthening research capacity.

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Tertiary education is important to strengthen basic education which is essential for throughput to tertiary and it is important to include technical and vocational programmes essential to the economy in the tertiary sector.

Tertiary sector platform for services sector/knowledge sector.

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Tertiary education remains predominantly the business of the public sector.

Private sector more demand driven, public sector more comprehensive.

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There is opportunity for the University of the West Indies to play a leadership, developmental, rationalising and integrative role especially supportive of public sector institutions.

Grande Anse Declaration (1989).

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It is to be noted that all of the ten (10) categories of skilled persons approved for free movement throughout the CSME without the need for work permits are service workers or knowledge workers-

university graduates, media workers, artistes, musicians, sports persons, managers, technical and supervisory staff, self employed persons, service providers, tertiary trained teachers, nurses.

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At the fifteenth meeting of COSHOD (October 19-21, 2006, Georgetown) a report highlighting the critical issues in education and labour was presented and discussed. The report emphasised: The appropriate development and effective utilisation of

human skills. Emphasised the centrality of appropriate HRD in

preparing persons to take advantage of opportunities presented by CSME.

Noted that the emerging labour market was more integrated and competitive for high level skills demanding “weightless” goods and high knowledge content.

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TERTIARY SECTOR Services industry Serve services economy Platform for research enterprise, knowledge industry Rationalised, orderly sector- investment

opportunities Tertiary throughput- investment attractor Competitive sector- export capacity Rationalising delivery of teaching and coordinating

research. UWI, other tertiary institutions, research institutions can make a difference in both teaching and research.

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Thank you very much for your

attention.