The Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission (J-TEC) is being established as the regulatory and supervisory body for the tertiary sector based on the Cabinet Decision of 1/11. By way of legislation, J-TEC will be a Commission, that is, a Statutory Body governed by a Board of Commissioners (Directors) appointed by the Honourable Minister of Education.

As a Commission, J-TEC has a key role in protecting all stakeholders. This is done through various mechanisms including:

• Maintaining an up-to-date register of local and international institutions operating in the Jamaican space.
• Receiving and investigating complaints and queries regarding Higher Education institutions, their programmes and operation.
• Ensuring institutions have appropriate student services as a condition of operating.
• Conducting ongoing public education to build awareness of the functioning of the sector.

J-TEC aims to make Jamaica the place of choice for Higher Education by:

• Marketing Jamaica’s Higher Education system.
• Establishing a system of “recognition of qualifications” of national, regional and international certification with that of Jamaican institutions.
• Ensuring Jamaica’s compliance with all international conventions relevant to education.
• Keeping up-to-date with international best practice.

Research

In improving the quality of Higher Education in Jamaica, J-TEC is committed to providing information through research. This involves:

• Developing an agenda of relevant research.
• Having a database of research conducted in Jamaica and beyond various subjects.
• Being the port of “first call” for information on the status of local institutions.
• Researching and responding to enquiries by students, institutions, etc. on “recognition of qualifications” and of credentials.

Transforming the Higher Education Sector

J-TEC’s strategy to transform the Higher Education system incorporates measures to maintain the relevance of the sector. These include:

• Identifying the type of courses required to prepare enrollees in institutions for the workforce.
• Encouraging institutions to develop required programmes over a specified time frame.
• Being aware of national development needs.
• Transforming institutions to meet these needs in terms of curriculum, teaching and learning modalities.
• Ensuring institutions have the infrastructure and human capacity to offer the programmes as marketed.

As the gateway to world-class quality Higher Education, J-TEC aims to increase access to tertiary education by:

• Encouraging and assisting institutions on issues of alternative delivery modalities, for example, distance education to ensure geographical and curriculum coverage.
• Advising institutions on capacity development to increase coverage.