WESTERN BUREAU:Dr Kasan Troupe, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, is urging educators and administrators at the tertiary level to play a more active role in transforming the education sector, arguing that observing from the sidelines is not enough.Speaking on Thursday at the inaugural Higher Education Leadership Conference in Hanover, Troupe said higher education worldwide is undergoing one of the most profound periods of change in its history and challenged local educators to consider how they will respond to the transformation taking place in Jamaica.“The question before us, therefore, is not whether education must transform, but whether we will lead that transformation or simply respond to it,” she said.Troupe added that while even wealthier countries are grappling with changes in their education systems, Jamaica remains committed to transforming its own education sector, including at the tertiary level.More than 150 tertiary-level administrators – inclusive of principals, deans on discipline, registrars, human resource and financial professionals – from tertiary institutions across the island attended Thursday’s session of the conference, which is slated to wrap up today.The event is being staged under the theme ‘Transformational Leadership for Institutional Excellence and Sector Renewal’. It aims to strengthen leadership capacity, with a focus on transformational and strategic leadership; improve accountability, performance and institutional effectiveness; enhance alignment between tertiary institutions and national development priorities and emerging workforce needs; and support institutional culture-building and effective change management.“Today, I wish to share the ministry’s vision for a higher education sector that is financially sustainable, academically and technically relevant, technologically competitive, while remaining deeply committed to the national development goals,” said Troupe, while outlining aspects of the national Budget for the education sector.She stated that education remains one of the Government’s most important pillars of investment, noting that this reflects an enduring belief that the sector is among the strongest drivers of economic growth, social mobility, and national resilience.Troupe said an ongoing review of the funding arrangements for publicly funded tertiary institutions is because public funding is finite, and as such, measurable results are of utmost importance.“The current funding model served Jamaica well during the early stages of the educational sector development. However today’s realities demand a more modern approach,” she said.Troupe said the consultations now taking place within the education sector is designed to examine a new funding framework that places greater emphasis on student success, quality and institutional performance, labour market responsiveness, research and innovation, financial sustainability, accountability and transparency.“So, this model that we are looking at as we are transforming is not about reducing investment. Instead, it is about ensuring that public investment produces the greatest possible return for students, taxpayers and the Jamaican economy,” she said. “We envision a partnership where all of government provides the support, while institutions enjoy flexibility, greater innovation and greater accountability.” editorial@gleanerjm.com