by Leroy Noel ST GEORGEıS, Grenada: Ewart Layne, one of the "Grenada 17" whose case comes up for hearing before the Eastern Caribbean Appeal Court on November 22, has just been awarded a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, with First Class Honours, in Applied Accounting. The degree was formally awarded last month by Oxford Brooks University in conjunction with the United Kingdomıs world-renowned ACCA accounting professional body. This is Layneıs third university degree earned over the past 10 years while at Richmond Hill Prison. In 1996, Layne was awarded a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) 2nd Class Honours degree, and in 1999, a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, with merit, in Commercial and Corporate Law; both law degrees were awarded to him by London University. Layne said he was able to earn these degrees with no access to law journals or to a law library or to law lecturers to teach him. For the degree in Applied Accounting, Layne completed all the required examinations of the ACCA at Levels One and Two with an average grade of distinction in each subject, to do a research paper on a topic, chosen from a list of topics provided by Oxford Brooks University, and satisfactory to the examination body. Layneıs paper was titled: An Analysis of the Financial Situation of the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association. Ewart Layne has been one of the key teachers and the mathematics coordinator in the prisonıs education programme over all these years, teaching mathematics at all levels, from School Leaving Certificate to university level. He has also taught statistics, law, and accounting at university level to fellow prisoners. At his request, Layne worked for several years in the Prison Industryıs furniture-making shop, even as he taught all the academic classes and pursued his own academic and professional studies. He has also played a key role in helping to coordinate the prisonıs vibrant sports programme in cricket, basketball and football. Altogether, members of the Grenada 17 have earned ten university degrees over the past 10 years: five degrees in law, including two at post graduate level, two in sociology, one in economics, one in theology, and now one in accounting. In 1996 a member of the 17, Callistus Bernard, obtained London Universityıs James Stewart Cook Award for the most outstanding performance in the universityıs exam in Comparative Government, opened to thousands of internal and external students worldwide. Over the past 15 years, members of the Grenada 17 have played a leading role in assisting over 200 inmates in acquiring literacy and numeracy and they have also assisted scores of inmates in earning School Leaving Certificates, ‘OıLevel and ‘Aılevel passes, and certificates in computer studies and business studies. The vast majority of these inmates have not returned to prison after completing their sentences. And several have used the training obtained through the prisonıs education programme to set up and run successful businesses. The academic endeavours of Layne and his colleagues have come at zero cost to the state, with their examination fees and basic textbooks paid for by their relatives and friends and with the members of the Grenada Seventeen either teaching themselves or each other. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com