SKN Gov't aims to increase number of university grads by 2020

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, November 30th 2009 (Labour Secretariat) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for education,  Sam Condor said his ministry’s White Paper, designed for a revised approach at secondary school level, is part of the St. Kitts/Nevis Labour Party government’s vision to have at least one university graduate in every household by the year 2020.
 
Areas addressed include classroom streaming, subject teaching method and technology in the classroom.
 
“We are hoping that we shall have a situation in St. Kitts where in every household, there is at least one university graduate,” he said.
 
During an interview with Condor he pinpointed that such academic refreshed, long term goal initially begins at the recently opened Saddlers Secondary School.
 
The education minister said the technological infrastructure and curriculum standard at the new Saddlers Secondary School pilots the government’s vision in ensuring the nation’s youth attain a solid academic future.
 
Reportedly, all classes have internet and cable connectivity and mobile computer carts access to every classroom. These features would  be implemented at other high schools throughout the island.
 
“The Saddlers Secondary is technologically driven, so the students are going to be learning through the aid and assistance of technology. Hopefully, such provisions will generate more interest in the different subject areas,” the education minister remarked.
 
Condor highlighted that the government is moving away from classroom streaming at that new high school which gives all students a chance to excel equally.
 
“We are not doing the streaming as we used to do where we put children in 1A1, 1A2 and 1A3 (and futher down). With classroom streaming, at that beginning it’s like the start of condemning students to academically fail,” he explained.
 
He went on to say “We are now doing it different and we are saying that all of the students will have access to all the subject areas. We are going to identify the weak students early on and give them extra training with the assistance of the learning support centre. But we are going to be moving away from streaming in Saddlers school and have all of our students at an equal level.”
 
Condor explained that apparently there is just 5 to 7 per cent of our students going off to university and attaining a university degree. He went on to say in the White Paper, the ministry’s goal is that by 2020 , the gross enrolment rate for school leavers in post secondary and tertiary education  should be at least 50 %.
 
“We want about fifty per cent of our students in secondary and post secondary for any particular  group leaving for university enrollment for the same (group)  being at least 20 per cent so . So we want to increase by 2020 our university students for any university enrolled group to be about 20 per cent.”
 
“We want to increase it some thirteen per cent over the next eleven years , “ the Education Minister said.
 
Condor is cognizant that such objective would be a “tall order”, adding that the St.Kitts/Nevis government is hoping that all provisions made to increased access to second university education, will make increase university enrollment more possible.
 
“In fact we are hoping with the Saddlers Secondary school in the next five years that there will be a majority of more than eighty per cent,” he said.