Educational institutions must remain on cutting edge technology – Senator Boyce

Education access and systems in Barbados must remain on the cutting edge in this digital age, says Senator Andwele Boyce.

Speaking in the Upper House on a resolution to approve the guarantee by the Government of $2 million of a $12 million-loan to be granted to the University of the West Indies (UWI) from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to finance the Regional Digital Transformation Project, he said it was the duty of the educational institution to remain on the cutting edge of the services they deliver to students.

“The context and climate of education demand that we do things differently, that we modernise, that we deliver different services in a cutting edge way to a generation unlike any other, a generation of students who walk around with technological devices, who are [in tune] with the cutting edge of service,” he said.

“So it becomes imperative that the University of the West Indies as the transformational institution that it is, grapples with those things.”

Minister of Tourism and International Transport Senator Lisa Cummins, who introduced the resolution to the Senate, said the CDB loan will see the university transforming into a more modern and digitally capable facility with greater access for students.

She also said the upgrading of ICT systems, as well as increasing the digitisation of programmes and courses for online use, were top priority for tutors and students, as well as the CDB.

“The loan is going to focus on the specific development of the project. It’s going to also be matched by a grant from the Caribbean Development Bank which is going to focus on institutional strengthening activities,” Senator Cummins explained.

“It is also going to benefit from counterpart financing from one of our international bilateral partners, who would then be putting forward an additional 27 per cent of the project cost for preparation, institutional strengthening, capacity building and project management.” (SB)