Education Minister Ronald Jones and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education Senator Harcourt Husbands during the Inspection of the Guard of Honour at the Seventh Day Adventist Church to mark the start of Education Month 2016.
Jones open to SJPP name change
Tue, 10/04/2016 - 12:00am
The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polyclinic (SJPP) could undergo a change to its name, to reflect the evolution of that tertiary level institute and its shift in focus over the years.
Minister of Education Ronald Jones noted that the leadership of the SJPP is requesting that the Pine St. Michael school be called the Samuel Jackman Prescod College of Technical and Vocational Education. He made these comments at the start of Education Month 2016.
“We might tidy that up a bit, but I have no problem with that. The polytechnic was envisioned with a particular concept in mind, on catering in its early days to students who unfortunately people argued were not taking in the academics.”
“ The BVTB has in fact taken over some of the functions that historically used to be done by SJPP and in their modular training at the various centres including... All Saints, the one at St. Luke’s in St. George and there are various areas.”
“They have taken out a lot of that work. The Polytechnic is working at a slightly higher level of Training Board training and with schools doing Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs) level 1 it means the SJPP is well equipped not only to be doing CVQs level 2 but also 3 which would be equivalent to what we have in the academic stream. Level 1 is equivalent to a CSEC, level 2 a CAPE, level 3 you start to go into degree programmes, so they want to see that reflected in the naming culture of the school and I wont have any difficulty to so do,” he said.
The Minister also noted that there is a need for more sixth form schools in the island to ease the burden from the tertiary institutions, he revealed that it is hoped that by 2017, there will be three additional sixth form schools in Barbados. (JH)