Education and Labour Minister, Claris Charles believes that tertiary education will propel Grenada and the rest of the region into countries that will no longer be referred to as being part of the Third World.
Charles was at the time speaking at the handing over ceremony of computer equipment valued at approximately US$8,000.00 to the T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) by the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN).
The senior Government Minister dubbed the occasion as being an historic one, and an important step in the collaboration between CKLN and CARICOM, and all of the tertiary institutions towards integrating information and communication technology in the region.
Charles, a former school teacher said the event helps to reinforce the relationship existing between CKLN and TAMCC.
She noted that from 2004, TAMCC was one of the institutions involved in the CKLN project that is funded by the Organisation of American States (OAS).
That project involved strategic planning for tertiary education institutions with a focus on introducing e-learning as part of the teaching strategy to increase access to TAMCC programmes.
CKLN was launched as a CARICOM project in 2004 at the Fifteenth Intercessional CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Grenada.
In October 2004, the network was registered as a regional not-for-profit foundation with headquarters in Grenada.
Charles spoke highly of the faculty that is present at TAMCC, describing the staff there as efficient and competent.
She said while the programmes being offered are marketed, they fail to market the quality of the staff at the college.
"With the CKLN we can sell our programmes in areas that we have competence in, and I do think that we have competence in a number of areas that the college can use not only in the region, but throughout the world," she added.
Bearing in mind the usefulness of the computer equipment to TAMCC, Charles said that Grenada is on the threshold of a major economic and social development.
She said it is clear that it is a significant milestone not only for TAMCC, but the entire State of Grenada."Today marks a major step towards reconfiguring our education process, our education system," she remarked.
The computer equipment is intended for the development of courses for on line delivery.
