STI and Inequality Jamaican Perspective

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STI and Inequality Jamaican Perspective

• Richard Kelly, October 2008

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(No Transcript)
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Introduction

• STI has brought many benefits to the world.
• Developing countries have benefitted
• More people have access to transportation,
  information and communication, healthcare,
  entertainment and education.

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Introduction

• Economic development through STI has been
  tremendous
• Widening gap between developed and developing
  countries.
• Gap is being reduced in some areas in some
  developing countries
• Paper looks at inequalities through STI from a
  Jamaican perspective

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History

• Caribbean countries emerged from history of
  colonization by Europe
• Focus was on building European Economies through
  STI
• Little or no focus on colonies
• ST did not evolve as a mainstream component of
  Caribbean culture
• Such knowledge restricted to the rich and
  educated

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Some Key Issues Affecting STI in Jamaica

• Low levels of STI investment (0.3 of GDP)
• Lack of an effective and well-coordinated
  National Innovation System
• Insufficient public-private partnership
• Shortage of STI educators and other professionals
• Weak research and innovation culture
• Research capacity and engineering intensity
  compromised by level of STI training

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STI in Jamaica

• Establishment of institutions for the promotion
  and use of STI
• Research and Development (RD) in the
  agricultural sector to improve crop and livestock
  and production and enhance food quality.
• The use of nuclear technologies in the analysis
  of soil content to improve health and food
  quality.
• The use of ICTs to improve access to information,
  education and services.
• The use of GIS and GPS technologies in
  identifying areas where poverty exists (for
  targeting resources) and mapping natural, social
  and economic assets.

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Figure 1. Performance of Jamaican Students in
Mathematics and Science in the GSAT Examinations,
2004-2007.
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Figure 2. Performance of Jamaican Students in
Selected Science Subjects in the CXC/CSEC
May-June Examinations, 2002-2007
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Figure 3. Comparison of Performance of Jamaican
Students in selected science subjects in the
CXC/CSEC May-June Examinations, 2007
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STI Education

• The number of tertiary students pursuing
  undergraduate degrees in STI related fields
  showed a slight decline in 2007 (ESSJ, 2007).
• Enrolment in science related degrees lower than
  social sciences
• Low number of engineers and mathematicians

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Initiatives

• Among these are
• The move towards an enquiry-based approach to
  teaching science,
• The exposure of more students to science and
  related subjects and offering cross-faculty ST
  courses at some tertiary institutions,
• Provision of more laboratory facilities and,
• Increasing use of Information and Communications
  Technology (ICT) for research and to aid teaching
  (E-learning).

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Table 1. Internet penetration in Jamaica for
selected years.
Source International Telecommunication Union
Computer penetration by households 16.5
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Table 2. Tele-density in Jamaica, 2000-2007
Source Office of Utilities Regulations and STATIN
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Figure 4. Cumulative number of ABMs in Jamaica
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Health, Employment, Security

• Inadequate resources to provide acceptable health
  care.
• Medical technologies expensive
• Disparities between public and private hospitals
• High crime problem
• Inadequate crime fighting technology
• Very few persons have security technology

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Health, Employment, Security

• More technology intensive jobs. Threat to
  unskilled workers.
• Challenge in retaining skilled professionals
  brain drain.
• Education system challenged to meet growing and
  diverse needs of the job market.
• Other issues include climate change and natural
  hazards.

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Recommendations

• Create national policies and mechanisms to
  distribute the benefits of STI throughout the
  population.
• Integrate the use of STI in broader national
  development planning.
• Increase investments in building STI capacity,
  infrastructure and RD, especially to develop
  indigenous technologies.

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Recommendations contd

• Incorporate the use of ICTs in all areas of
  national development. This is important if
  Jamaica wants to become a knowledge economy.
• Improve international and regional cooperation
  and networks for experience and knowledge
  exchange.
• Capitalize on Latecomer advantage for adoption,
  adaptation and creation of technology

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Thank you