Higher education releases poor from dependency

THE EDITOR: I have taken note of the criticism made in a letter to the editor by one Mr Ato Kujifi on our GATE Programme. Although the text of the letter was a bit difficult to follow, it was apparent that Mr Kujifi is of the view that the Government should not give people from poor homes a full waiver of their tuition fees for higher education, because this will perpetuate a dependency syndrome. This is an illogical argument, however, since facilitating access to higher education and training cannot create dependency. In fact, it should have the opposite effect, since it will provide a viable escape route for many people from the cycle of dependency, who would otherwise be unable to improve themselves.

If we are to double the participation rate of our citizens in higher education, which we must, in order to keep pace with the rest of the world, the only way to achieve this is through incentive programmes such as GATE. Moreover, if we as a country believe that it is essential for our country’s development that we have universal free primary education and universal free secondary education for all citizens, then why is it difficult for an educated man like Mr Kujifi to take this principle one step further into the tertiary education sector?

The world has changed significantly in the last 20 years, and if we are to compete in the new world order of free trade and rapidly changing technology, we must make every effort to educate all of our citizens to the maximum possible levels, and to provide support mechanisms to encourage and facilitate this change. The provision of financial support systems for higher education, especially for the underprivileged, has long been recognised as essential to the developmental process in every successful country in the world. In Trinidad and Tobago, the cess on university students, which has led to the current levels of university fees, was only introduced in the late 1980s because of the economic downturn and the need for austerity measures.

There is no valid reason in our current economic circumstances for anyone to oppose the principle of universal access to education at all levels, and I am satisfied that if we fail to put in place proper financial support mechanisms to encourage and facilitate higher education and training; we shall condemn future generations to poverty.

COLM IMBERT
Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education