Standarisation of qualifications essential accross the Caribbean

Standarisation of qualifications essential accross the Caribbean

The regional accreditation of tertiary and higher education institutions and programmes is a priority, as there will need to be mechanisms to establish common standards and measures for accreditation and equivalency and to facilitate acceptance of degrees, diplomas and certificates across the region.

CARICOM agreed to the establishment of a regional accrediting agency and it is hoped that it will have the necessary capacity to handle the registration, accreditation and monitoring demands of the expected influx of extra regional providers.

The target of 15 per cent of the age cohort being registered in tertiary education, set by the CSME, has been surpassed in some Caribbean countries given the significant increase in provision of educational services in the region; but there are gender implications in relation to graduates of the University of the West Indies (UWI), the largest supplier of graduates in the region, where female graduates far outnumber their male counterparts each year.

UWI Graduate Output 2004/2005

Source: the University of the West Indies Official Statistics 2004/5

Accreditation Councils in the Region
To facilitate the ease of access to information on tertiary and education institutions, Accreditation centres have been set up within the region to highlight those institutions, which have recognized degree programmes. These include:

Barbados Accreditation Council
http://www.bac.gov.bb/

In November 2004, the Barbados Accreditation Council was established by an Act of Parliament, the Barbados Accreditation Council Act 2004-11 with two (2) broad roles:

Firstly, the registration and re-registration of institutions offering post-secondary or tertiary education and programmes of study, the accreditation and re-accreditation of programmes and institutions in Barbados and related functions, such as recognition and equivalency of local and foreign-based qualifications, articulation and conferral of institutional titles; and Secondly, the granting of Certificates of Recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification to applicants who satisfy the requirements for recognition as skilled CARICOM nationals and examining and verifying of Certificates of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills granted to community nationals by Member States.

Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago
http://www.actt.org.tt/

The Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) founded in 2004 by the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the governing body for the assurance of quality post secondary and tertiary education.

ACTT has a major role in facilitating quality assurance and accountability mechanisms across the tertiary education sector. Furthermore, ACTT is a full member of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE).

ACTT is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the interests of students and the public, and to provide assurances of, and improve the quality of education and training offered to consumers in this country. ACTT offers services to a wide range of stakeholders including students, parents, government agencies, private sector organisations and post-secondary and tertiary education institutions.

ACTT’s key functions include:

• Registration of institutions
• Accreditation of institutions and programmes
• Recognition of foreign qualifications and Equivalence Assessment
• Conferment of institutional titles
• Quality Enhancement Support

ACTT will also serve to facilitate the establishment of:

• A national tertiary qualifications framework that provides the basis for the creation of a seamless education and training system
• Criteria and guidelines for ensuring programme articulation and student transfers within the system at the national and regional levels, and to facilitate the free movement of skills within the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

University Council of Jamaica (UCJ)
http://www.universitycouncilofja.com

The mission of UCJ is to increase the availability of University level training in Jamaica, through accreditation of institutions, courses and programmes for recognition and acceptability. The Council is empowered to confer degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic awards and distinctions on those who have pursued courses approved by the Council at associated tertiary institutions.

-ends-

Source: UWI-Caricom Project Excerpts from the Research Paper Titled: Some implications of the Caribbean Single market & economy with special reference to education and gender by Elsa Leo Rhynie (Nov 2006)