The Ministry of Post Secondary and Tertiary Education has been created so that this “highly specialized area” can be given the attention it needs.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves who will be responsible for this ministry, stated that in Latin America, it is the norm to have a Ministry of Higher Education.

“It is a highly specialized area,” the Prime Minister explained during a call to the Issue at Hand programme on WE FM on Sunday, August 21.

He added that in countries with a Ministry of Higher Learning, the Minister of Education deals with early childhood, primary, secondary, technical institutes, special education and other such matters.

With the new ministry, tertiary education will be given special attention, so it does not go on auto pilot.

While admitting that “fantastic progress” has been made in tertiary education, Gonsalves believes that more can still be done.

He promised that “there will be more.”

The new ministry will also deal with matters relating to accreditation and will also employ a senior technical officer who will be at the level of the chief education officer.

This new ministry will operate out of the same location as the Ministry of Education.