Principal and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Hilary Beckles, delivering the key-note address at the 65th annual Barbados Workers Union (BWU) delegates' conference at Solidarity House yesterday, said at present 48 per cent of all UWI students were at Cave Hill as compared to nine per cent at Mona and 20 per cent at the St Augustine campus.

Noting that demand for education in Barbados was always there, he said 60 per cent of eligible Barbadians were denied entry because of lack of space.

Such a situation, Beckles said, was untenable.

Now, thanks to contributions from the private sector, a number of buildings had been constructed.

"You are not meeting national needs if you are rejecting 60 per cent of applicants. So this is why we are crafting this effort and looking at this exercise of how to make the university relevant."

Worried

The pro-vice chancellor said a university that was relevant was one that met the academic needs of the population.

Noting that the goal was to have a graduate in every household within the next ten years, he believed he was well on his way to achieving this.

Beckles said the results of a recent study showed that of the 90 000 households in Barbados, 30 per cent already had a university or college graduate.

While he was pleased with Barbados' strides in education, he said he was worried about our Windward Islands neighbours.

"It has the highest participation in the English-speaking sub-region . . . and participation in tertiary education between the ages of 18 and 30 is less than five per cent and we have to be very, very concerned about this."

Beckles said the university was looking at ways to move the 30 per cent of graduates per household to 100 per cent.

He said it could be achieved a number of ways including the acquisition of 35 acres of land to build an additional campus.

Beckles said four years ago there were 4 000 students enrolled at UWI and at present there were 8 000 students.

He said that figure could double in coming years.

"If the Cave Hill Campus, BCC, SJPP, BIMAP and BWU Labour College continues on its present growth path, we will achieve this quite easily. It will mean that Cave Hill will carry 15 000 students."