Wasted education resources?

Operators of several of the island’s community colleges and similar institutions say students who attend these schools instead of traditional universities are being discriminated against.



At a Gleaner editor’s forum yesterday it was revealed that in some instances students have had to waste money being retrained because of the stigma attached to attending community colleges.



Principal of Moneague College in St Ann, Howard Isaacs, says many believe that the students who attend community colleges do so because they are unable to gain entry to the University of the West Indies (UWI) or the University of Technology.



According to him, community colleges are contributing significantly to developing tertiary education in Jamaica, but are still being stigmatised.



Executive director of the Council of Community Colleges, Noel Stennett, says students who attend these institutions are receiving quality degrees and value for money.



He says stakeholders in education need to work together to ensure that scarce resources are not wasted with persons being required to seek further qualification after leaving a community college.



However, Jeanette Grant-Woodham, chairman of the Council of Community Colleges, says the perception of such institutions is changing.



She notes that students who come from community colleges are performing above par at universities.



Grant-Woodham says that, in 1997, UWI decided that it would accept any degree that was accredited by a national accrediting agency.