HLSCC to Offer Bachelor's Degrees Soon
Education Minister Sharie deCastro has given H Lavity Stoutt Community College a mandate to pursue four-year degree-granting status, beginning with a bachelor’s in education. The move includes plans for student dormitories and aims to align teacher training with the territory’s education reform agenda.
The H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) has been tasked to pursue four-year degree-granting status and begin offering a bachelor’s degree in education, Education Minister Sharie deCastro announced on the Talking Points radio programme on February 9. The ministry and college leadership are working together with a target of being able to award the degree within the next 12 months.
DeCastro said the proposed programme will be customised to support the BVI’s ongoing education reform rather than being a generic qualification. "We’re not going to just develop a standard education — a bachelor’s degree. We’re working intentionally that what we want to see in our classrooms... the pedagogy, the skills... everything, is going to speak to what we mean when we say full steam ahead," she said.
HLSCC’s Institute of Education is expected to evolve into what the minister described as a "centre of excellence" that could attract students from across the Caribbean. To support regional demand, the ministry has provided funding for the design of dormitories at the college; those designs are due this year with construction to follow.
The minister also pointed to the college’s existing strengths, including international accreditation and seamless transfer pathways, which can help graduates progress to further study abroad or pursue recognised professional qualifications. For local students, a four-year degree option at HLSCC would mean greater access to teacher training without the cost and disruption of going overseas.
For BVI residents, the move signals a step toward building more local capacity in the education sector and retaining talent. Locally offered bachelor’s programmes can help ensure teacher training matches classroom needs arising from the territory’s reform agenda, while also bringing economic benefits if regional students live and study in the Territory.
Next steps will include finalising programme curricula that reflect the reform priorities, completing accreditation and regulatory approvals, recruiting faculty, and advancing the dormitory designs and construction. DeCastro and HLSCC have indicated they will continue regular engagement with stakeholders as the initiative progresses.
The initiative was framed by the minister as a continuation of HLSCC’s founding vision and part of a broader strategy to strengthen post-secondary education in the Virgin Islands. Residents can expect further updates from the Ministry of Education and HLSCC as timelines firm up and the programme moves toward launch.
Primary source: BVI News