In a knowledge-driven global economy, higher education, ie university education, is the critical determinant of economic development and the primary vehicle for social and economic mobility.

Governments, especially in developing countries, must spend as much as possible on education at all levels.

In Jamaica, we are failing in higher education, as is evident in many respects. First, only 10 per cent of the out-of-school population, 15 years or older, have tertiary education. Second, the percentage of university graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is too low.

Third, many who are qualified for university education cannot afford it.

Fourth, the quality of secondary education is a major problem and there seems to be a deterioration in quality as the system expands to accommodate an annual increase in the number of students.

According to the World Bank, a Jamaican child who starts school at four years old will, by age 18, have had 11.7 years of education, but “learning-adjusted years of school” was the equivalent of only 7.2 years”.

Successive governments have underinvested in higher education because of lack of resources. The answer is a rationalisation of the number and roles of the existing universities into a “system of higher education” so that the limited amount of money can be spent more efficiently and effectively to produce more and more fit-for-purpose university graduates.

First, the Mona campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI), now ranked in the top three per cent of the 24,000 universities in the world by Times Higher Education, is forced to charge high fees to students and to turn away highly qualified students from its medical faculty. We suggest capping the number of UWI students to preserve and enhance the quality of teaching and research.

Second, the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) which used to have an excellent reputation as a polytechnic known as the College of Arts, Science, and Technology (CAST), should concentrate on producing job-ready graduates and not be a duplicate of The UWI.

The quality of teaching could be the hallmark at UTech by using more practitioners and fewer would-be academics, while UWI could transfer certain subjects to UTech.

Third, The Mico University College should return to being the premier teacher-training institution in a consortium of teacher training colleges.

Fourth, reduce the number of institutions and thereby the administrative overheads. The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts should become a college of The UWI, which should also oversee Caribbean Maritime University. The College of Agriculture, Science, and Education should become a faculty of UTech.

Fifth, The UWI and UTech should expand their campuses in Western Jamaica and all universities must use the Internet to make higher education available outside of residential-type education in Kingston. Also, encourage reputable private universities such as Northern Caribbean University.

By rationalisation of the existing universities into a “system of higher education”, more and better can be accomplished with the same amount of money now being spent.

Food for thought?