Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Saturday voiced her opinions on education and development in the Americas at the first CEO Summit held in the margins of the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartegena, Colombia.
The Prime Minister shared the stage for one hour with her Jamaican counterpart Portia Simpson-Miller and Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.
The three women discussed the topic "Education and Development" within the context of their respective nations and the Americas.
The Prime Minister shared the stage for one hour with her Jamaican counterpart Portia Simpson-Miller and Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.
The three women discussed the topic "Education and Development" within the context of their respective nations and the Americas.
Persad-Bissessar stated that the only way out of poverty is through education, and urged regional leaders to place greater emphasis on achieving universal education.
She also discussed the importance of the contribution of the public and private sectors, noting that “Trinidad and Tobago recognises the fundamental role that collaborative efforts and public-private partnerships could play in improving education, productivity and development, and furthering economic and social developmental goals.”
The Prime Minister called for greater collaboration between the public and private sector to work towards attaining universal pre-school education, and underscored the value of accommodating expectant/working mothers.
She showcased Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts towards improving education using the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE) as a an example.
“Having recognised education as fundamental human right, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has committed a considerable amount of resources to the education of our people. We have achieved Universal Primary and Secondary Education. We are in the process of securing Universal Early Childhood Education. We have committed to making Tertiary Education affordable for our citizens so that income will not be a barrier to education,” she go.
Persad-Bissessar also discussed regional education, noting the Caribbean’s high literacy rate. She encouraged Caribbean nations to recognise these successes in order to raise the profile of their tertiary educational institutions.
“It is when we begin to acknowledge our universities as centres of excellence, only then will they be world renowned," she said.
Persad-Bissessar also highlighted the "brain drain" problem whereby graduates from the University of the West Indies and local universities opt to emigrate in favour of better employment opportunities and living standards.
She concluded her presentation by stating that regional leaders should "train our students to become job seekers rather than job makers, we need to focus on entrepreneurship, bilateral monopoly; the challenge is to start earlier at pre-school level.”
On Sunday Persad-Bissessar and the official Trinidad and Tobago delegation will attend the Inauguration Ceremony of the VI Summit of the Americas.
She also discussed the importance of the contribution of the public and private sectors, noting that “Trinidad and Tobago recognises the fundamental role that collaborative efforts and public-private partnerships could play in improving education, productivity and development, and furthering economic and social developmental goals.”
The Prime Minister called for greater collaboration between the public and private sector to work towards attaining universal pre-school education, and underscored the value of accommodating expectant/working mothers.
She showcased Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts towards improving education using the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE) as a an example.
“Having recognised education as fundamental human right, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has committed a considerable amount of resources to the education of our people. We have achieved Universal Primary and Secondary Education. We are in the process of securing Universal Early Childhood Education. We have committed to making Tertiary Education affordable for our citizens so that income will not be a barrier to education,” she go.
Persad-Bissessar also discussed regional education, noting the Caribbean’s high literacy rate. She encouraged Caribbean nations to recognise these successes in order to raise the profile of their tertiary educational institutions.
“It is when we begin to acknowledge our universities as centres of excellence, only then will they be world renowned," she said.
Persad-Bissessar also highlighted the "brain drain" problem whereby graduates from the University of the West Indies and local universities opt to emigrate in favour of better employment opportunities and living standards.
She concluded her presentation by stating that regional leaders should "train our students to become job seekers rather than job makers, we need to focus on entrepreneurship, bilateral monopoly; the challenge is to start earlier at pre-school level.”
On Sunday Persad-Bissessar and the official Trinidad and Tobago delegation will attend the Inauguration Ceremony of the VI Summit of the Americas.
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