Education Minister highlights benefits of ABCAS merger

Education Minister Daryll Matthew has described the creation of the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) as a transformational step that will deliver new opportunities for students and strengthen the country’s education system.

Speaking at the official launch, Mr Matthew said the merger of Antigua State College, the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology, and the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute into a single college would provide benefits that no single campus could achieve alone.

He explained that a unified framework would allow students to move from certificate to diploma, associate’s degree and eventually bachelor’s level “without bureaucracy”. Credits earned at any of the faculties would be recognised across the institution, reducing barriers to progression.

Mr Matthew said the consolidation would mean shared services, such as a single registrar, IT and library systems. This, he argued, would free up more of the education budget to support teaching and learning, rather than duplicating administration.

The new structure would also allow for blended courses across different fields. Examples cited included culinary arts with entrepreneurship, hospitality with digital marketing, construction with renewable energy, and cybersecurity with business analytics.

“This integration ensures graduates are prepared for a world that demands cross-functional skills,” Mr Matthew said.

He added that ABCAS would deliver modern, stackable credentials recognised by employers and universities, ensuring that “every course counts and every credit can be transferred”.

Students, he said, would benefit from a more holistic experience, with improved mentorship, mental health services, career placement and internships designed to treat each learner “as a whole person”.

Mr Matthew acknowledged the challenges of integrating systems, budgets and staff but said these were obstacles to overcome, not reasons for delay.

“By bringing these institutions together, we create something bigger, better,” he told the audience, describing ABCAS as a “metamorphosis” for tertiary education in Antigua and Barbuda.

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