Sir Hilary: Fee on the cards

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies. (FP)

By John Sealy | Sat, July 14, 2012 - 12:09 AM

IF GOVERNMENT accepts the findings of a report, all tertiary students may have to pay a five per cent amenities fee towards the social development of their institutions.

“We believe that we should look at an amenities fee for all our tertiary institutions and fix it at about five per cent of the cost of the degree . . . that will allow the principals to receive some revenues to modernize the plant and to develop the facility for the students,” said Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.

At a Press briefing yesterday, Sir Hilary handed over the report – Tertiary Education Reform in Barbados – to Minister of Education Ronald Jones at the ministry’s headquarters, Elsie Payne Complex, Constitution Road, St Michael.

Sir Hilary, chairman of the steering committee, said one of the recommendations called for the state to step back from the 100 per cent model of paying for education to 85 per cent. This would mean that other participants, such as the private sector and students, would have to share the other 15 per cent.

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Posted by Kenneth King 10 months, 1 week ago: Well there goes the free education that our father of independence had promised. The high salaries and those who had benefited are now making history, now those parents who are barely making ends meet children will have to pay their way to University. Judging from the amount of money each year put into the University are mainly salaries and a few expenses on the up keep of the facility with utilities as well, just sit back and think about this for a minute..........I'm waiting...

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Posted by Frank Husbands 10 months, 1 week ago: A fancy way to say it is time to pay.

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Posted by Jozette Bibby 10 months, 1 week ago: The University of the West Indies...why is it that these universities are the only ones that require students who are not from the home countries to pay an exorbitant economic cost...$22,000 per year for UWI St. Augustine...now you asking for more fees on top of all the other unnecessary and you wonder why persons opting to go out the region or to do their degrees online

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Posted by robert ross 10 months, 1 week ago: You what? Surely students already pay an amenities fee? Or is this just another ploy to ensure that the running costs of Beckles' massive and self-serving capital projects are met - at the expense of all those students to whom he, Beckles, opened the University doors on the principle that there must be a graduate in every household no matter the cost in terms of academic standards. Shrewd move eh?