GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA jamicaflag
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F.A.Qs

What is J-TEC?

J-TEC is the regulatory and supervisory body for the tertiary sector.

Why a Tertiary Commission?

  1. To reposition the sector to more ably address national development imperatives and global demands.
  2. To ensure lateral and vertical articulation of institutions so as to create alternative pathways for tertiary qualifications.
  3. To mitigate against the proliferation of online and other tertiary level providers for which there is no regulation or monitoring of quality and oversight of their operations and programme offerings.

What are the functions of J-TEC?

See ‘About’.

Where are we now?

Highlights of our major achievements to date are as follows:

Implementing Cabinet Decision 1/11 re: Establishment of J-TEC

  1. Draft legislation to establish J-TEC currently at the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
  2. Staffing of entity (See ‘Our Team’).
  3. Participation in MoE Transition Committee with all quality assurance and accreditation bodies to rationalise the agencies.
  4. Continued collaboration with quality assurance and standard-setting institutions.
  5. Establishment of a Student Assistance Unit to guide students in funding their tertiary studies.

Repositioning of the Tertiary Sector

  1. Guided members of the Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica (TCJ) through process resulting in the signing of the Heads of Agreement between the University of the West Indies and the eight government-funded teachers’ colleges (Shortwood, St. Joseph’s, Churches, Moneague, Bethlehem Moravian, Sam Sharpe, G.C. Foster College of Sports and Physical Education, and the College of Agriculture, Science and Education) for UWI to be the platform to offer Bachelor of Education Degrees.
  2. Support for the development of a strategic plan for the Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica (TCJ) in progress. Individual teachers’ colleges are now drafting their strategic plans.
  3. Development of a National Qualifications Framework creating a single national qualifications framework to ensure that all training programmes conform to established standards; qualifications may be clearly located in relation to each other and global standards maintained.
  4. Formation of Technical Working Group for drafting of Higher Education Regulations.

System of Institutional Monitoring and Support

  1. Needs Assessment of 10 public teachers’ colleges and two community colleges completed and technical working group formed to inform repositioning of teacher education in Jamaica.
  2. Study on the “Public Perception of Community Colleges and their Repositioning” being finalised.
  3. Preparation of lecturers of teachers’ colleges to deliver the National Standard Curriculum for Grades 1-9.

J-TEC Registration System for Tertiary Institutions

  1. Pilot of Registration System with six tertiary institutions to commence in October 2015.
  2. Increase use of media and educational technology in teaching and learning
  3. Collaboration between the Jamaica Research Education Network (JREN) and the ODL/COL on programmes being offered to colleges online.

Tertiary Education Strategy

  1. Discussions commenced for development of Tertiary Education Strategy for the period 2015-2030 to guide the GoJ’s investment and policy decisions in order to maximise tertiary education’s contribution to Vision 2030.