EDUCATION Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson on Tuesday urged Jamaica's tertiary institutions to improve the quality of education that is being provided for the country's future leaders.

HENRY-WILSON... to improve the quality of tertiary education, we need to look at professional development, commitment, attitudes, and values.

The minister also called for equity in the tertiary sector, arguing that there should be equal resources and support for all institutions.

"Tertiary education now plays a greater role in the development of society than ever before," said Henry-Wilson.
"The quality of our society will be determined by the quality of our tertiary education," she added.

The education minister was speaking at the 15th annual conference of the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (JCTE) at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. The conference was held under the auspices of the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ), under the theme "Assessing for quality: the tertiary imperative".

Henry-Wilson argued that despite present challenges, education was the fastest growing sector in Jamaica. She also emphasised that the Government was committed to offering an 80 per cent subsidy of tuition fees for every tertiary student.

At the same time, the minister urged educators to focus on producing graduates who will be great problem-solvers, analytical and better able to adapt to the work environment.

"To improve the quality of tertiary education, we need to look at professional development, commitment, attitudes, and values. Our commitment may be local, but our intentions should be global," Henry-Wilson said.

Keynote speaker and Observer columnist Dr Henley Morgan also urged tertiary institutions to pool resources for the common good of the tertiary sector. He said a collaborative approach to education is needed to improve on the foundation and competence of the tertiary sector.

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