Guilden - FFS is that really you or is tigga visiting for the week-end?

Please - it's not hard to read the posts and determine if I made any sort of comment that mentioned how white people might feel attending UWI. That's a typical tigga attempt at distraction based on false testimony. And no I'm not a lawyer.... but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.

As to the interviewing one would assume for the sales position you would want someone who grew up in Bermuda and had a business degree. So that person should definitely get an interview. Actually one might be a little dubious about the Harvard application, however too many people just look at the name Harvard.

As to the CEO position one would automatically choose the Harvard person for an interview no questions asked. Why?

Harvard doesn't hand out business degrees.... only MBA's.

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment. We are a part of Caricom and thusly, this does actually make sense. The race element, as you put it, is such a weird statement. I went to school with a few white barbadians. Why do you automatically assume that white people would be discouraged to go to this school? You are assuming that the entrance qualifications are lower?

Y'all are making assumptions based on stories of people that "may" have gone to a school that "might" have been UWI. That's like judging  Acadia by the standards of EVERY college in Canada.

I think you'll find the reason there are schools in Canada that hundreds of Bermudians go to comes down to the fact that they are 'easy' schools to get in to and that the work load isn't nearly as much as other schools throughout the country. I'm not suprised that UWI ranks higher than some of them, but a ranking of 1900(?) isn't something to be overly proud of...

It doesn't matter! UWI is still way way down the rankings. It's an old "new labour" trick (in the UK). Pledge in an election to get more people to University, but because you've bollocksed up high school education by interfering too much, no one is making the grade. Easy solution? Reduce entry requirements in Universtiies and colleges, force them to accept x number of kids from different schools. Is this what is happening here? Buying places to get the numbers up? I don't know, but IT"S NOT THE EFFING POINT.

Government is basically saying, "you want to go to university then it's on our terms to the place we decide". That's wrong, dead wrong. Besides the fact that Horton and Co with their bloated ministry and exopensive consultants can't seem to fix the high schools and go out of their way to meddle with schools that are a success (assisted schools). That's the real travesty here.

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment. We are a part of Caricom and thusly, this does actually make sense. The race element, as you put it, is such a weird statement. I went to school with a few white barbadians. Why do you automatically assume that white people would be discouraged to go to this school? You are assuming that the entrance qualifications are lower?

Y'all are making assumptions based on stories of people that "may" have gone to a school that "might" have been UWI. That's like judging  Acadia by the standards of EVERY college in Canada.
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From what I understand BDA is simply an associate member of CARICOM.  What and how does BDA benefit from such an association (just a simple question and not bashing the Caribbean)?  Is BDA getting any "donations" from these countries in regards to our failing education system?  Is it just a one way street agreement?  Please someobdy explain the benefits as I really can't seem to find them anywhere.

Again, why are the Bermudian tax payers forced to pledge money to a foreign jurisdiction's education system, when our's is such a mess!!  That is my issue with this whole thing, not because I view UWI as sub-standard.  This Government seems to want to help out other countries with their economic/educational infrastructure with our hard earned money.  What about our children that are failing the simple BSC??!!  Why aren't we taking care of our own first with our own money??  I can't for the life of figure out what benfit this is going to do if our teenagers can't obtain a simple BSC diploma from the system that is on the verge of complete implosion.

All universities are alike in the sense that they offer a similar product - some specialize in different areas of study but at the end of the day they sell education to us. Companies don't offer us the same products and due to market conditions some businesses will be a lot larger than others so I don't think that example works so well. Any school can the 'best' but not any company can be the biggest...

And I can't see why people on here fail to realize that some schools are better than others. I'm sure you will agree that the private schools on the island are 'better' than the public schools, so why can't some universities be better than others? As a student currently studying in Canada and having A LOT of friends that go to St. Mary's, etc. I can say that the work they did at the high school level left a lot to be desired. Did your doctor friends go there for their undergraduate degree or for medical school?

Sand,

I just re-read the press article and it only talks about UWI as a lower cost option for Bermudian students. Doesn't the Government NOW award scholarships? There is nothing in there to suggest that awardees of Government scholarships MUST attend UWI. This begs the question, "From what section of this press release did you ascertain that Government scholarships will only be awarded for those students attending UWI?

This initiative is about nothing more than providing an educational opportunity to those students whose parents are financially unable to attend the bigger name schools.

Based on that I am sorry but I see nothing wrong with the initiative, unless as DeOnion has pointed out, the cost versus benefit is too great to make sense.

Both actually drew. And we went to high school together, WA and Saltus.