Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator
( L - R ) LAMEY, FULTON and STANBERRY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Lenworth Fulton, is proposing that the Government channel resources from taxes received by the HEART Trust /NTA to support financially-strapped educational institutions, such as the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE).
Speaking at a Gleaner Editors' Forum on Tuesday, Mr. Fulton insisted that more financial resources should be allocated to the agricultural institution.
"I think HEART is collecting taxpayers' money for education, you can't take taxpayers' money and put it in HEART alone."
CASE STRUGGLING
During the discussion, administrators at CASE said the institution was struggling to effectively carry out its mandate.
"The quality of the programmes that we offer hinges on the availability of adequate resources to put out graduates who are fit for the intended purpose," said president of CASE, Dr. Paul Ivey.
Dr. Ivey later told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre that it is costing approximately $280 million a year to run the agricultural institution.
But, he said, this year the Government provided only $180 million in subvention. This is six per cent less than the amount the institution received for the 2004/2005 budget
And Dr. Ivy said earnings from school fees and school projects are inadequate to meet the $100 million deficit.
CALL FOR COLLABORATION
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land, Donovan Stanberry, said there was a need for greater collaboration between agricultural entities, noting that all the agricultural research stations, owned by the ministry, including Bodles in St. Catherine, were now available to CASE for educational purposes.
In the meantime, Captain John Lamey, the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at CASE, said he is concerned that in one year approximately 30 per cent of CASE graduates migrated to find agricultural jobs overseas.
