Approval by the Council of Ministers of a draft Higher Education National Ordinance (see Friday/Saturday edition) is of great relevance to the further development of St. Maarten. Without a legal framework, access to, the quality of and efficient financing for the highest form of learning available cannot be guaranteed, reasoned government.
As this legislation has been discussed since 2010 when country status went into effect, every minister who held office up to now was involved. It may be considered significant in the process of becoming more autonomous and self-reliant, not just materially but also academically and intellectually.
That consultations were reportedly held with – among other stakeholders – University of St. Martin (USM) and American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine in any case sounds reassuring because they are the current providers and both play important, be it different, roles in society. The main goal is to increase local study opportunities and counteract brain-drain by having to go abroad for such less.
The latter can save money too, which will be key in giving content to the bill already reviewed by the Advisory Council, once passed by a parliamentary majority. It’s one thing to establish rules and regulations on paper, but often quite another to make executing them feasible in terms of funding, manpower and other resources that usually require considerable investment.
In other words, experience should show what this new law leads to in practice and when. Nevertheless, perimeters will in any case be set out to help limit whatever uncertainty regarding existing programmes, courses and degrees offered.
So, it’s no doubt a positive step and all who worked to finally make this a reality deserve congratulations. However, much remains to be done.
