- IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ken Sylvester (left), executive director of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN), delivering his presentation during yesterday's opening ceremony of the Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the CKLN at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.
WITH FEWER than 20 per cent of the 18 to 24-year-old age cohort enrolled in tertiary programmes, the Government is hoping to fast track the expansion of the number of persons accessing higher education partly through the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) establishment of a regional e-learning service.
Minister of Education and Youth, Maxine Henry-Wilson, said yesterday that Jamaica's objective was to have 30 per cent of students accessing tertiary education by 2015.
During yesterday's opening ceremony of the second meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN), at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, Mrs. Henry-Wilson also noted that the CKLN, partly through its e-learning programmes on regional network CARIBNET, would assist with meeting CARICOM's objective to ensure that 30 per cent of the population has tertiary education by 2010.
According to CKLN Executive Director Ken Sylvester, tertiary institutions within CARICOM will soon be able to strengthen their capacity to develop and deliver e-learning programmes at a distance through CARIBNET.
COLLABORATION
The CKLN is intended to provide state-of-the-art information and communications technologies and connect the region's colleges and universities, fostering collaboration, and the development of region-wide e-learning programmes.
Mr. Sylvester said there was currently little partnership between tertiary institutions in the Caribbean and that the establishment of the CKLN would enhance the global competitiveness of the region by upgrading and diversifying its knowledge.
There are approximately 150 tertiary institutions in the Caribbean. The CKLN will offer them the opportunity to connect to each other, and to international partners, at greatly reduced costs to develop online learning and offer this to others in the region and other parts of the world.
Mrs. Henry-Wilson described the establishment of the CKLN as an exciting phase of the development of education in the region. According to her, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has had a significant impact, but has not yet become as pervasive as it should.
The CKLN was formally launched in 2004. Deputy Prime Minister of Grenada, Gregory Bowen, who deputised for Prime Minster Keith Mitchell, who is the lead head of CARICOM with responsibility for Science and Technology, said the CKLN would allow for regional collaboration between students and faculty.
Mr. Bowen said CKLN consultants have so far conducted capacity building and institutional strengthening in nine CARICOM countries and 11 tertiary institutions.
