Financial secretary warns of looming tertiary education funding crisis

Edmond Campbell, Senior Gleaner Writer

Financial Secretary Dr Wesley Hughes sounds a warning of a looming crisis facing Jamaica in the funding of tertiary education.

He asserted that there was the need for a national debate on the funding of tertiary level studies.

Dr Hughes told members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today that he did not want to be dramatic but noted that serious challenges were ahead.

Member of Parliament for St James North Western and PAC member Dr Horace Chang had raised concern that funding of the Ministry of National Security's crime prevention initiative, the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), had dried up.

He said the CSJP came to an end in the last financial year but noted that some additional funding was pumped into the scholarship programme.

However, he said the awards to recipients were significantly reduced and spread over a larger number of communities.

Dr Chang contended that the cut-back in the funding of the CSJP would damage the expectation of students who might have been anticipating some assistance under the programme.

The CSJP provides scholarship awards to high school and tertiary level students in inner city communities.

The committee discussion on the financing of tertiary studies was held against the background of issues raised by Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis about a high delinquency rate in the Government's Scholarship and Assistance Programme which is administered by the Ministry of Finance.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com