Tertiary Level Credits Can Now Be Transferred

Students pursuing higher education at the tertiary level, are now able to transfer credits from one tertiary institution to another, with the launching of the Tertiary Qualifications Framework by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).
Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Maxine Henry-Wilson, who launched the document at the Jamaica Pegasus on April 29, noted that this approach would enhance the prospects of increased access to tertiary education.
She told members of the audience that currently, “statistics indicate that we have attained the goal of 15 per cent of our population having access to tertiary education”.
The Minister said that some experts have suggested that “for a society such as ours, the real target should be a minimum 30 per cent coverage at the tertiary level”.
Quoting Professor Errol Miller, Head of the Joint Board of Teacher Education, Mrs. Henry-Wilson explained that it was at the tertiary level “that the real value added takes place”.
The Tertiary Qualifications Framework will also add to the portability of qualifications regionally and internationally.
Executive Director of the UCJ, Dr. Ethley D. London, described the new approach as “one of the best things that could happen to our labour force”, and noted that the Framework would allow for improved efficiency of the educational system and the elimination of duplication.
Other speakers at the launch included Chairman of the UCJ, Dennis Irvine; Chairman of the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education, Rheima Scarlett; and former Head of the British Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Education, John Randall.