BARBADOS can be the leader in the Caribbean in the area of human resource development.

And as such, Member of Parliament for St James North, Rawle Eastmond, wants the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development to give the necessary priority to the area.

During his presentation in the Budget Debate in the House yesterday, Eastmond called for an assurance that the ministry would set out on a path of "genuine human resource development".

He said the position could be justified on the basis that there was a need to address poverty and "also taking into account the realities and complexities of today's world".

"I am prepared personally to support any move in the direction of a global holistic approach to human resource development that would position our people not only to play an active part in the job market, but would also position our people to be truly self-reliant and independent, and permit them to be as entrepreneurial as resources would allow," he pledged.

Noting that human resource development was not limited to easier access to student loans, Eastmond said the challenge to the Government would be whether the concept of human resource development should be limited to one ministry or whether other ministries like Social Care, Labour and the like had a role to play.

"I would want to urge the Government to ensure that its programme for human resource development becomes the one policy that the rest of the Caribbean can follow."

Eastmond also sought clarification on the locations, capacity, cost and curriculum for the proposed new primary and secondary schools. (YB)