Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau Valley Constituency, Dr. John Collin McIntyre, has presented cheques of $1,000 in financial assistance to 10 new Dominica State College (DSC) students of the Roseau Valley.
The cheques were handed over on Friday, September 1st, 2017, and provides coverage for tuition, uniforms and some books.
McIntyre said that he “saw it fit” to find a way of assisting the students to obtain a tertiary level education, as not having an education is a “major sin in life.”
“I saw it fit that we would form some kind of package, we can assist you as first- time college students. We can understand it can be a little tight but on parents, no student should not attend college because their mother or their father cannot afford to send their children to college. That is a major sin in life not to educate yourselves,” he said.
He expressed concerns over some young people who chose to be unproductive “on the block” and it is a “frightening” case for him because their choice to live life without getting an education is “something that is dangerous.”
He reminded the recipients of the number of opportunities that are out there for them upon completion of college, including scholarship opportunities from countries around the world.
“There is no if and but in this, you will complete college. Now if you complete college, we can send you further and we can educate you,” he said.
McIntyre made it clear that this initiative has no political agenda attached to it, and although “it would be a nice thing too” for the students to support him, he is not trying to win any votes from them.
“Your government, don’t full your head you know, don’t take the government for granted you know, I am not trying to win your vote here at all, but I mean of course if you want to support me that would be a nice thing too. But at the same time, I have no guarantee that when you go in that box to vote, you are going to vote for me, so I am not going to full myself,” he stated. “I want to make it sure that we provide the assistance for everybody here to complete college for at least the next two years, so rest assured you will complete it,”
According to him, schools in Trafalgar and other areas have received assistance through various programs such as the uniform program, transportation programs, and books.
McIntyre has hopes that once these students graduate from college, they will be able to secure a job, and they must not depend totally on the government to secure that job for them.
He said that nothing will stop the Dominica Labour Party from helping the people of Dominica and has dismissed claims of dishonesty and “spoiling people” as “rubbish.”
“I want to spoil you with education, that’s what I want to spoil you with,” he remarked.
The students are:
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