The issue of education has always occupied the minds of Jamaicans from all strata of life, from the ordinary citizen to those who govern. Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean has a unique educational arrangement which is highlighted by a regional University with different campuses that are funded jointly by the various member state governments, whilst, at the secondary and primary level funding is the sole responsibility of the individual states. Over the years particularly in Jamaica we have spent quite a bit on infra structure at the Tertiary, secondary and primary level, however we continue to struggle with issues of quality, consistency and learning equity amongst the schools.

Intake quality is a great concern at the tertiary level with the pool being supplied by our secondary schools. Increasingly, this process is now being called into question as many of our students are underachieving at this level leading many to place the blame squarely at the feet of more funding. Although the issue of quality and funding cannot be separated this however is too simplistic a solution and is more complex in nature, involving the quality of teachers, their preparation and the exposure of our young minds to untrained individuals particularly at the basic, infant and preschool level. This has fueled the debate for increased focus at the early childhood level to provide a more equitable education for our children, the theory being that this will flow all the way through our educational system. This paper will discuss the concept of intervention at varying levels particularly at the secondary by tertiary institutions in order to influence the intake quality.

The issue of access and the funding of tertiary education in Jamaica is also a critical issue and this paper will discuss the issue of access and how nationally we could increase enrollment in a very short time; the issue of a guiding philosophy for tertiary education will also be looked at. We will discuss the formation of a national tertiary system employing a hub and spoke concept incorporating most if not all learning institutions. In order for increased access to be a reality this paper will propose a new mode of assessment of our high school students.