What’s Trending: Medical school may rival UWI

Fri, February 10, 2012 - 10:11 AM

The Nation’s Associate Editor Sherie Holder-Olutayo takes a look at what’s trending today in Barbados.

The American University of Barbados School of Medicine, which is set to open today, can pose serious challenges to the University of the West Indies (UWI) medical school, especially when it comes to foreign students.

While UWI faculty were surprised by the Government’s decision to give the green light to the offshore medical school, some of our online readers felt that the new medical school could prove to be an asset to the country. Here’s what some of our online readers had to say.

Marc Menard: Competition is bad? I don't know. Just asking... Perhaps it might make for a better product in both cases.

Fiselle Stu: They need competition. Perhaps that will help them get their 'act' together.

Payel Garcia: It’s about time UWI had some competition. May now UWI will shape up.

Another issue that’s still generating feedback from readers is the “Hair Row” at the Alexandra school. Some readers were still highly charged on that issue.

Michelle Carter: I do not have an issue with the child being suspended from school as he was warned on more than one occasion. If the parent and the child are unwilling to comply, simply suspend the child. The principal has not right to cut the child’s hair or issue a directive to anyone else to cut the child’s hair. He is totally out of place.

Sam King: A child's right to an education should not be determined by the length of their skirts, pants or hair, but by their capacity to learn, I went to the Cawmere University with an afro, and always had a muff when my dad cut my hair. It did not impede my ability to learn. I understand the principal may be trying to bring discipline to this institution, but he has gone overboard in his zealousness to achieve that, not only has he thrown out the bath water, but also the baby, the towel and the soap along with the bucket.