Prime Minister Gaston Browne has set an ambitious national target for every household in Antigua and Barbuda to have at least one university graduate by the year 2030.
Speaking during debate on the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) Bill, Browne said the government’s expansive investment in education was rooted in the belief that “intellectual development is key to economic development.”
“This is our aspiration. It may sound ambitious, but we do not limit our ambition,” he said. “We want every single home by 2030 to have at least one person with a degree.”
Browne linked the new ABCAS legislation directly to this goal, describing it as a vital part of a broader mission to expand access to higher education. The bill, passed with unanimous support in Parliament, merges four tertiary institutions into a single statutory body, with the long-term goal of upgrading the college to university status.
He said the initiative reflects his administration’s belief that education must be holistic, inclusive, and transformative — from early childhood to university. “We are pursuing the intellectual development of our people in a holistic way,” Browne said. “What we’re doing here is quintessential to the sustainable development of this country.”
The Prime Minister also reaffirmed support for the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus and highlighted the government’s track record in funding thousands of local and overseas scholarships, including during the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not by accident. This is by choice,” he said. “We are building out these facilities for our people — and it is for them to avail themselves of the opportunity.”
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What would that change because you still prefer foreign nationals for important positions. Just saying
With the UWI within our borders, with the many opportunities such as the PM Scholarship fund, and many other free university scholarship offered by friendly nations we can achieve this goal. This shows that we have a leader with a vision for his people. Not a selfish vision. But one that would make all of us proud. Not so long ago parents had to sacrifice a lot to send at least one child to tertiary education. I’m one of them. The monies I spend on my children’s education I could have build at least a house for each of them. The said part for me is that they chose to leave Antigua and remain in North America and Europe and contribute to those countries development. Many parents seem to be ok with that. But not me. We need to fight the brain drain. Every time I see an expat come here with an education that an Antiguan overseas has, I feel that we need to have programs in please where we can tap into this Human Resources Capital of our own and bring them back home. Even in f they come home on contract basis. I’d rather see our own citizens benefit from any job offer we have. And don’t short change them. Offer them the same benefits as you would offer their Caucasian counterparts. I know of a couple in the 70s which through their church were outsourced to go work in their country of birth. When they arrived their own people could not deal with it. They we’re accustomed to having a Caucasian in that position. A slave mentality. They can serve the slave master but cannot serve their own people. The church was shock with this development and their contract was cut short. I’ve seen the same happening here at home. Antiguan returning home on a contract are offered less then their Caucasian counterpart. I also call it soengoe to lub loengoe. In the past I’ve seen Cable and Witeless paying their expats much more then their local managers. Who by the way were actually running the company. Guys like Davidson Charles and Melford Nicholas use to run the company while their white boss was living in Emerald Cove Resort. I mean that is what mass’s says looked like. The locals can do the job, but not for the same pay. The Banks like Barclays did the same. I wonder when we will overcome this slave mentality and do not envy our own to the point we can never see one of us progress. That is also where the hate of our prime minister comes in. They the opposition members just hate to see a successful black man coming from very humble beginnings. The poorest of the poor. They hate everything about him. But whom God Bless let no one curse.
A Chinese proverbs says one cannot become useful without being educated
Another proverb say if you think of one hundred years, educate people. Which tells you the Prime Minister thinks one hundred years ahead. As the Rasta would say, the man is Far I. Far ahead.
Blessed be our Prime Minister may God give him guidance to lead his people into the future. Allahu Akbar, God is Great. Rasta Far I.
Selamun Aleykum
Good day, PM Browne, our most acidic-tongue leader.
I am checking to see who have touched your malevolent bone today. But I guess I will have to wait until later when you tee-off on your subjects in your most bilious, cantankerous, flame-throwing fashion.
So we have to import more Santo Domingo and Jamaican menial worker to offset educated Antiguans in the future that won’t vote for ALP and Gaston in the future, both party romanticize the foreigners calling them Caribbean brothers and sisters. Why should another suffering nation import their consequences into our political system to keep Antiguans and Barbudans down?
i applaud the initiative. in st lucia, the st lucia labour party, the current government has adopted that posture since winning the election in 2021. First Generation Scholarship Programme is the name where each household will have a university student. This initiative provides possibilities for individuals from all households to pursue higher education, and over 1,000 people have already benefited.presently, there are students in morrocco, taiwan, cuba and other countries.
so mr gaston brown. thanks for running with the idea of our prime minister phillip joseph pierre. it is a good vibe.