Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter
HILL
WESTERN BUREAU:
BUSINESS CONSULTANT Aubyn Hill has called on the Government to privatise more of the education sector to bring Jamaica's school system up to global standards.
"I firmly believe that it is time that the Government, through the Ministry of Education take the unequivocal policy decision to privatise much more of the educational facilities - We need to get that mixture and the capital in."
He was speaking to a gathering of over 100 delegates at the opening ceremony of the Second International Biennial Conference on Technology in Education and Human Services - 'Eduvision' in Montego Bay last week.
He contended that given the serious problems curtailing government expenditure, increasing the number of private institutions is integral to the provision of quality education.
"We must educate to the highest international standard using technology and every one of our graduates from basic school to the best tertiary institution in the country must have a stamp on them called 'Fit for Export'," Mr. Hill said.
Careful to differentiate between promoting a brain drain and training to an international standard, Mr. Hill called on the private sector to come to the aid of the education system.
"In Ireland, the United States and elsewhere, the role of the private sector and private investors looms large in the education of the citizens of these countries and more of that needs to happen in Jamaica," he said. "We must move beyond this to a more forthright involvement with private investors and entrepreneurs."
Citing instances in which private individuals would have liked to open their own educational facilities, Mr. Hill challenged the Government to give them the opportunity to invest in the sector.
"Private investors must be encouraged to see education and skills training as an attractive investment destination," he said. "Our Government needs to make it easy for private investors to finance education."
