The government is creating a new tertiary institution in the country, the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) by bringing four institutions that currently operate independently under a single management structure.
Education Minister, Daryll Matthew led off debate on the legislation that will establish ABCAS at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
“This bill provides for the establishment of ABCAS as an institution of higher education and the teaching and training persons in Antigua and Barbuda in the fields of study offered by the institution. The College is effectively an amalgamation of four tertiary institutions in Antigua and Barbuda; the Antigua State College (ASC), the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology (ABIIT), the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI) and the Harrison Centre Antigua and Barbuda School of Continuing Education (HCABSCE,” he revealed.
According to the minister there are some very valid reasons why the government is moving into this direction with regard to its education policy.
“Mr. Speaker, the reason for this is that as a small country with limited resources, we do not have the benefits of scale. So here is a cases of multiple institutions, some of which offer similar courses, at similar price points thus effectively cannibalizing yourself, competing with yourself and not operating in the most efficient manner possible. In order to consolidate these institutions, we have been working over the past two years putting together a plan of action of which passing this legislation is one component of the entire implementation process,” he detailed.
The Minister gave credit to Deputy Director of Education, Dr. Ezra Greene, who has been the focal point working on the project with assistance from other senior officers in the ministry and with input from the ministry of legal affairs. The heads of the four campuses have also been involved in the discussions and decision-making regarding the establishment of the ABCAS.
The education minister said the plan is being implemented in phases as he provided details of what will happen under phase One.
Phase 1: Putting the legal and management framework in place including the setting up of an interim management committee comprising of the following persons;
Chairman: Dr. Jonah Greene, Dr. Buffong of the ASC, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, the Director of Education, Clare Browne, Crowne Counsel, Desiree Markham, Senior Labour Relations Officer, Caris George, Dr. Andrew Hunt of the UWI FIC, Educator, Hyram Forde, Anita Francis, Onell Walker Harris of ABIIT, Arlene Weste of HCABSCS, Raynel Carroll of ABHTI, Robin Nathaniel of ASC, S Roberts and Nicole Marajah.
