St. Kitts and Nevis Establishes Accreditation Board

Ross University – St. Kitts
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts _ Nevis
June 18, 2012 (CUOPM)

With the off-shore education sector growing and making a significant contribution to the local economy, a St. Kitts and Nevis Accreditation Board Secretariat has been established.

“Given that the offshore education sector accounts for the significant portion of approximately 12% of the local economy, efforts are being made to grow the sector while at the same time improve its regulatory framework to ensure orderly growth and the protection of the integrity of the jurisdiction where offshore educational services are concerned,” said Minister of Education and Information, Senator, the Hon. Nigel Carty.

Mr. Carty said that within the last three months, the Accreditation Board Secretariat has opened with its offices at the Education Administration Building, Church Street, Basseterre and a new website for the Accreditation Board, www.ab.gov.kn, has just been launched providing potential investors and the general populace information on the accreditation process, as part of improving standards and increasing transparency within the organisation.

He said that the Board is currently involved in the revision of the Accreditation Act to improve its adequacy and efficiency in dealing with the broad areas of concern relative to offshore education, and higher education, more generally.

“The Accreditation Board will improve its standards to meet the requirements of international standard bodies and interest groups such as the Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), among others, to improve the rating of our jurisdiction and to facilitate the widest possible cross-section of international students and medical programmes,” Mr. Carty said.

He said it will of necessity mean the careful review of the composition of the Board and building alliances with regional and international organisations such as CAAM-HP.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Accreditation Board was officially established under the Accreditation Act of 1999 and amended in 2001 to regulate the offshore education sector by reviewing applications for offshore educational institutions, certifying and accrediting their programmes, and reviewing such programmes periodically.

There are seven off-shore schools in St. Kitts and Nevis, six on St. Kitts and one in Nevis. Accredited off-shore education institutions are International University of Graduate Studies (IUGS), International University of Nursing (IUON), International University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine (IUHS), Medical University of the Americas (MUA), Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) and Windsor University School of Medicine.

The Secretariat’s website states that the accreditation of Burnett International University School of Medicine, Berne University and St. Theresa’s Medical University have been revoked.

Board members are Dr. Robertine Chaderton, chair; Mrs. Paulette Warde-Caines Secretary; Ms. Beverly Harris, Representative of the Ministry of Sustainable Development/Planning Unit; Dr. Marcus L. Natta, Representative of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College; Ms. Jihan Williams, Representative of the Legal Department; Dr. Hazel Williams-Roberts, Representative of the Ministry of Health; Dr. Kelvin Daly, Representative of the Nevis Island Administration; Mr. Clifford Govia, Representative of the Ministry of Education; Mr. Calvin Mason, Representative of the Ministry of Finance and Ms. Trisha Rawlins, Executive Director at the Secretariat.