Tech-voc schools pursuing accreditation – official

Several technical schools are at various stages of seeking registration or accreditation from the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC), the Ministry of Technological and Vocational Training said on Monday.

Ministry consultant Wendy McClean said the move would give learners and the public greater confidence in the quality of education and training being offered.

“Nearly all of them are at various stages of seeking registration or accreditation from the Barbados Accreditation Council,” she said.

She did not identify the schools.

McClean was speaking on Monday after the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill received its reaccreditation certificate at the BAC’s George Street offices.

Accreditation allows institutions to demonstrate that their programmes and systems meet established standards.

“It signifies that this institution, who has many years of experience in the region, has presented itself for a quality assurance review,” McClean said.

“Quality assurance is important because it gives the public, the consumers of education, the assurance that the quality of teaching, the quality of learning, the quality of the resources provided to the learner, are of high state,” she said.

McClean said accreditation also allows institutions to compare their programmes and systems against national and international standards.

“The opportunity to benchmark programmes and to benchmark systems against national and international standards is critical so that everybody knows what standards they’re working towards.”

The process could also help learners assess the quality of their educational experience, she added.

McClean described the progress being made by institutions seeking accreditation as positive, noting that the BAC has been established for more than 20 years.

“It is really saying to us that we don’t just have to accept what we are given when we go to acquire learning services or educational services, that we can hold the provider to account and to a standard that they have to deliver the training that meets our particular needs.”

Accreditation would also bring confidence to institutions and their learners, McClean said.

“It says to the learner, the general public, it says to your own internal team that we are operating at a standard that is internationally benchmarked.

“And that brings confidence, that brings a sense of achievement, and it is something to be desired and sought after.”

(LE)