Dear Editor,

As a young Jamaican who is the beneficiary of access to tertiary education, I am under no illusions as to the absolute importance of this vital commodity.It cannot be disputed that attendance to a university or college is indeed a privilege and not necessarily a right; however, any country which is serious about the development of human resources, and ultimately human capital, must strive to ensure that this privilege is not only more accessible but, more importantly, affordable.It is against this backdrop that one examines the recent actions by the Government to “bail out” a number of final-year students at university to the tune of some $9 million. While this act, no doubt, is considered a noble one, the precedent set leaves a bad taste in the mouth. This is exacerbated by the fact that some of these students, maybe as much as 50 per cent, will be expending their new-found talents and training in foreign lands.The recent arguments by Prime Minister Andrew Holness are indeed timely and welcome, and with our country’s renewed focus on economic growth and development, the issues of funding for tertiary education cannot go on unaddressed.The Students’ Loan Bureau, despite best efforts, will not be able to fund the education dreams of all applicants, and as such we need to arrive at novel ways to satisfy financial requirements as the demand is on the increase. The current funding model of direct subsidies to institutions may, in fact, not be the most beneficial or equitable, and should indeed be re-examined. During this re-examination we should note the important point highlighted by the think tank, Caribbean Policy Research Institute, back in 2009 when it noted that “four out of every five tertiary graduates will migrate”, thus depriving the nation of their talent, training and sufficient return on its investment.Any model arrived at must ensure, as best as possible, ample returns to the country. 

Noel Matherson

noelmatherson@gmail.com