THE NATIONAL Executive Council (NEC) of the ruling People's National Party (PNP), yesterday asked Maxine Henry-Wilson, the Education Minister, to intervene in a growing disagreement between the University of the West Indies and students who owe tuition and hall-of-residence fees.
Mrs Henry-Wilson was asked to intervene in a situation which, reports indicate, could see students who did not pay tuition and halls fees being unable to take examinations.
"The NEC urged the Minister to immediately intervene to resolve the situation in order to prevent any disruption of student education on the campuses," a news release from the PNP stated. The NEC said that although "it agreed that many students waited until the last minute to make arrangements with the university administration, it was urging the Government to assist in resolving the matter in the overall interest of all parties."
In addition, Mrs. Henry-Wilson will be meeting with representatives of the UWI Guild of Undergraduates to hear their proposal, after which she will meet with Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, to determine whether emergency provisions could be made.
The news release said that Mrs Henry-Wilson had also asked for clarification of Jamaica's commitments to the liberalisation of university education under World Trade Organisation (WTO) protocols with a view to the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) lodging an action in Geneva, Switzerland.
At the meeting the NEC also approved life membership for former Senator, Alfred Rattray, and former Minister of State, Ambassador Marjorie Taylor.
