Junction, St Elizabeth – Norman Horne says his vision of a university in the hills of Malvern funded and run by overseas investors primarily for overseas students, is based on a conviction that it would be a money spinner.

“I am of the view that education is big business. This view is confirmed by Britain which last year raked in £3 billion from the end product. I want to develop the same education product here in Jamaica,” Horne, the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for South-East St Elizabeth told the Sunday Observer at his campaign headquarters last Thursday.

Horne’s vision is for an overseas university to “build out” a campus in quiet Malvern which he boasts has the “sixth best climate” in the world, and to market it for overseas students with some of the profits being used to provide scholarships for Jamaicans.

“Once we can build this education district and bring in foreign students from all over the world in the Malvern area we can begin to see the benefits of this to South-East St Elizabeth,” said Horne, who heads ARC Systems, a major importer and manufacturer of building materials.

“The average student would come into Jamaica with approximately US$22,000 for room and boarding, this kind of revenue, times the amount of students, will then begin to manifest itself in bringing new money into the constituency because the challenge for South-East St Elizabeth is how to bring in new money.

“If we continue to live off the same amount of money, then of course a few will get richer, a lot will get poorer and some will remain constant, what I plan as the new Member of Parliament is to bring new monies into South-East St Elizabeth .,” he said.

Horne was elaborating on an idea he presented at a political code of conduct signing ceremony in Black River two weeks ago.

He identified Schiller University with seven campuses in six countries as one potential investor he had already approached at a preliminary level.

Horne argued that Malvern, with its ideal climate and long history of education – Munro College, Hampton High and Bethlehem Teachers College are all located there – made it ideal to exploit the growing trend in the developed world to board their children at accredited institutions overseas.

Jamaica, he argued, was already well established in terms of educational standards as evidenced by the drafting of its nurses and teachers by North American and European countries. With revenues being used to accommodate Jamaican students, the country would be in a position to not only benefit directly from financial returns but also boost tertiary capacity with the added potential to service the world with trained professionals – a spin-off being even greater earnings from remittances.

Horne said his vision was for the university district to be developed alongside the ongoing growth of returning

residents communities in areas such as Malvern and surrounding communities of SE St Elizabeth. To that end, he said, there was need for the development of a “land bank” with residents of the Malvern area being encouraged to consider land sale.

He conceded that unless the extreme water problems in Malvern and the wider parish were resolved his vision “was impossible”. But according to Horne, plans for the development of the Mount Hermon Water Supply System, which he envisages will provide 1.7 million gallons of fresh water daily, will eliminate the water woes of South-East St Elizabeth and South Manchester while making the university

project possible.

Horne told the Sunday Observer that preliminary work involving clearing of land had started for a “close to $100 million” multi-purpose stadium being built with his own money at Ballards Valley.

Horne reiterated that the complex involving full-sized cricket, football, track and field, and court games’ facilities will be built even if he is beaten by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party ‘s (JLP’s) Franklyn Witter in the August 27 parliamentary election.

“It is my pet project. It is very dear to me, I don’t like to speak of it as legacy. But it is something I want to leave behind as a contribution to our young men and women,” said Horne. Like his idea of university district in Malvern, Horne said the sports complex which will be named after him evolved from his recognition of the business possibilities in sport.

“Sport is big business and how you package and how you sell it is a completely different world by itself. Business people like myself, know how to do it,” Horne said.

Another “pet project” that of replacing pit latrines at schools in SE St Elizabeth with flush toilets was ongoing, with installation already done at schools in Ballards Valley and Red Bank, he said.