Nassau, Bahamas – In a bid to expose Bahamians to tertiary institutions available in The Bahamas, the first College Mall was launched. The event featured several institutions, including The Bahamas Baptist Community College, The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), University of The West Indies (UWI) and Galilee College, among others. Minister of Education Desmond Bannister, officially opened the event during a ceremony held at the St. Joseph’s Parish Activity Centre in Chippingham.
“It is a great pleasure for me to be present here this morning at this opening ceremony of the College Mall organised by the Association of Tertiary Institutions in The Bahamas (ATIB),” said Mr. Bannister. “This college Mall concept is being presented at a time in our educational history when more and more persons are seeking affordable, quality post-secondary academic, technical, vocational and professional education.”
Mr. Bannister said that according to the Research and Planning Unit of the Ministry of Education report on the destination of high school graduates from public and private schools in 2010, 31.5 percent of students went on to pursue tertiary level education locally, while 11.71 percent pursued tertiary level education at a foreign college or university. These statistics, he said, support the view that it is imperative that Bahamians are given the opportunity to discover the benefits of local education.
By Betty Vedrine
Bahamas Information Services
