PM promises education for all

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has promised that his administration will meet the cost and assist parents to ensure that every child on the island attend school at the beginning of the  new academic year.

Skerrit made the promise while addressing a special meeting with residents of Portsmouth and surrounding communities on Sunday.

“Let me say to you very clearly, that we would like to have every child in Glanvillia, Portsmouth and the entire country to attend school,” the prime minister said.  “There should be no reason why any child in Glanvillia should not be in school. You cannot use the excuse that you do not have books, or a pair of shoes. We have to help you to get those things to ensure that every child goes to school whether it is pre-school, primary, secondary or the state college.”

Prime Minister Skerrit said further that the government’s “No Child Left Behind” policy programme will ensure that students who cannot make it to pre-school or whose parents may not have the funds on a monthly basis to pay school fees will be assisted by the Government of Dominica.

“You have situations where there are children of pre-school age whose parents for one reason or the other cannot go to work because they have to stay home with their children. I am here this afternoon to say  that any child who is of pre-school age, we should put those children at pre-school and those of you who cannot afford, you need to let the Parliamentary Representative know or the Government know so that we can help to pay the fees to allow the children to go to pre-school. Similarly the same arrangement applies for students attending the primary school and the Portsmouth secondary school,” he stated.

Students across the island have benefited from a number of government initiative including transportation, school feeding programs and school transfer grants which cover text books and uniforms.

The new academic year opens later this week.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

41 Comments

  1. DPM
    September 5, 2012

    Just so full of hot air.

  2. Looking in
    September 4, 2012

    Where is the letter of resignation from the President of Dominica?

  3. Aye Dominique
    September 4, 2012

    Interesting that Roosevelt Skerrit is boasting of education for all. I did not even read the entire article as I know is just same nonsense over and over.

    While he is educating, he is undermining the educated ones because you can have all the education you wish to have, if you do not support Roosevelt Skerrit, life for you in Dominca is very gloomy.

  4. Nudibranch
    September 4, 2012

    Education for all, a basic human right ~ pat on the back for what, stating the obvious?

    Every Child passes, even when they slide through the cracks and can still neither read nor write at the end of 6th grade.

    How about investing in special education teachers?
    How about utilizing some of the unused school buildings and opening trade schools?
    Not everyone can go to college, but those who don’t may make dang good plumbers, welders, masons or mechanics, trade schools with mandatory english, maths and business studies may be better than blandly saying “everyone passes”.

    Breeding a nation of dunces otherwise. Dunces as we know will vote blindly and do what ever you tell them so long as the colour of the money is right.

    Now Papa Doc, what about trained teachers teaching? Isn’t that a basic right, you want an educated populace, train the teachers first.

    I know of a school where the new 1st grade teacher has absolutely no training whatsoever, she thought that it would make a change from selling in a shop. with teachers already stressed, schools overcrowded, and with limited resources, how is this woman to begin to comprehend what she has to do to get the kids to read and write and do basic maths by June?
    If you want proper teaching, train the teachers, don’t pull them off the street because they feel “it would make a nice change.”

    As to your ”brain drain”, the Peter Principle is in full effect at all levels of govt and business in Dominica. When you ask those leaving, the first thing said is “what am I coming back here for?”, when pay is commensurate with education and experience, and also matched against productivity, then perhaps we can entice the youth back, until then, it will be a place they will retire to, and still complain that nothing has changed in the 40 years they were away.

    Fuel for your diminishing fire.

  5. Malatete
    September 4, 2012

    I don’t know what Govt. is boasting about. Of course we should have education for everybody. Not only is it a basic right but a wise investment in the country’s future. If there is anything I would invest in, education would be number one. To present this as something special is somewhat over the top. It is a must! Self congratulation in promoting it is only embarrassing. let’s just get on with the pursuit excellence in our institutions of learning, every day without fail. Others will congratulate us when we succeed.

  6. tiny
    September 4, 2012

    but the children not learning….they make it to high school and they cant even read…the focus there should be on training teachers….improving test scores in maths reading and everything else

  7. student
    September 4, 2012

    “no child left behind” huh well if u all sit and rely on this words from the pm ur child will surely be left behind, cause all the pm does is make empty promises to comfort fools. As a student i can attest to this when the pm says he is helping college children another big lie well maybe some who r labourites. i tried this once it went out good first time second time coming to check with the cashier at dsc to see if my tuition is being paid for by government big embarrassment i almost didn’t do exams had to find means and ways as quick as possible to pay, thank god i had a littel something on my account if i didn’t like school would have drop out and that is some of the reasons alot of kids drop off from collegewhen they are unable to pay. when skerrit cries out loud on radio that he is assisting college children with tuition, all lies and more lies to save the embarrassment had to find me a job to help pay my school fee thanks god i didnt drop out but is closer to finishing. so dont listen to skerrit. if u think its a lie just go up to cashier n say govt is paying tuition for me and u will hear the bad reply u will get.

    • Peeping Tom
      September 4, 2012

      SO, let me see… You got free tuition for at least a semester but you wanted more. You did not get it and you are vex. You used your money to pay for YOUR education and you are vex. You used your time to get a job, that many will claim is hard to find in Dominica, but you are vex that you had could get a job and doubly vex that you had to work.

      So, pray tell, if you are so unhappy that you were helped and that you were able to do so much for yourself, what can really make you happy?

  8. Possie
    September 4, 2012

    Bravo..

  9. ..
    September 4, 2012

    hmmm

  10. New Yorker
    September 4, 2012

    All nice but I hearing the students in Morrocco are now homeless. So maybe they should go home and go school in DOminica.

  11. Waitukubuli!
    September 4, 2012

    This man knows how to fool the dumb,unintelligent people of this island who will fall for any bits and pieces.That’s why a woman of European upbringing said to me once that people of Dominica behave as hungry ones.Another British woman said to me,the school environment in Dominica is not conducive to learning.All or most of the schools in Dominica are in a delapidated condition and their surroundings are dirty,they are so hot inside as if the children are already in hell.How is Skerrit caring about education when he chose to build a state malice instead of proper schools?Answer for yourselves!

  12. Vocational
    September 4, 2012

    This academic free secondary education for all is all very well. But what about vocational??? We need skilled technical people not just accountants, more lawyers and doctors.

    Where is training before you get to State College in plumbing, mechanics, agriculture, carpentry etc.? Whay did the UWP abolish the excellent JSP programme? Was it just because it had been set up by Dame Eugenia’s government?

    What will happen is that we will end up with a lot of highly academic educated unemployed Dominican youth sitting on their mother step playing with their BBs and Sewoing and not wanting to get their hands dirty.

    And the Haitians, Chinese and Guyanese will be working at all the jobs we really need like growing and selling food, building,fishing etc. And then you will hear Dominicans complaining they cannot find jobs. Because the whole thing is not thought through properly.

    • Malgraysa
      September 4, 2012

      Man, soon we’ll have people with a politicalal sciences degree claiming they are plumbers! After all, we need political scientists more than we need plumbers. Just watch the leaks.

  13. داوود عبد الرحمن
    September 4, 2012

    It is all right to listen to empty slogans of “Education for every child.”

    Mr. Skerrit must stop deceiving the Dominican masses and explain to them that government does not help with the $400 deposit for every student for Orbound at Dominica State College. If a student does not pay that deposit he or she cannot access the system in order for them to submit their assignments.

    Also, Mr. Skerrit must also inform people regarding many youth with bachelors and masters degrees who have studied are unable to find employment. Case in point, I know of one young lady in her 20s who just finished her law degree as well as her 2 years in Trinidad and Tobago for her legal certificate, yet she is in Dominica and unable to find employment within a legal field she spent so much money on over the past 6-7 years. Another case in point is another young lady who has her Masters in counselling yet cannot find a job right here in Dominica.

    It is time for our politicians to stop deceiving the masses and implement projects that will empower our young people to manufacture goods which the world demands so that we can create more jobs. Instead of having Chinese sell poisonous and inferior goods to our people, these Chinese should come to “teach us how to fish.”

  14. Max
    September 3, 2012

    No Child Left Behind’= all parents vote for Labour!!

  15. awa wi
    September 3, 2012

    i think that its a good idea since we must recognize the importance of education. the problem as usual with this administration is not what is done but how it is done.
    – how do you verify who needs assistance and who doesn’t? we all know that many persons who do not need assistance are the first in line when these blanket statements are made.

    – what feedback system do you have in place to assure that value for money is received, especially at the college level where many students just drop out? are they going to be contracted to ensure that they stick to the program or reimburse the funds they have been granted?

    – promise is a comfort to a fool. just ask the students at the DSC who have been left in a tie-up when the commitment made on the mike doesn’t translate to reality. in fact just go to the college and say government that send you and see the response you get.

    – Isn’t the ministry of education and the minister being marginalized by the p.m? these statements should be part of a comprehensive program outlined by the minister of education to give us some confidence in the direction of the ministry.

    in my view this is a political gimmick(a good one at that) since if you dare to critically analyze then you will be labelled as anti-education and against the poor. but if we truly love our education mr pm make some serious investments in the SCHOOLS and in EMPLOYMENT so that parents can meet their commitments instead of relying of handouts.

  16. Grand Bay School
    September 3, 2012

    Folks!Let us not spin this into politcal game
    In my judgement it is the….Children. through no
    faults of theirs .I remember the sacrifices my parents had to do to buy books pencils and uniform
    for my brothers and sisters.We never heard of Gov’t help. It is not a ‘Skerrit problem” it is the cildren who are the future of tomorrow.

  17. auntypig
    September 3, 2012

    my child getting less as a scholarship student than those labar party supporters children that was not as good as her… only 500 for high school

    • Peeping Tom
      September 3, 2012

      You put the remaining $1000.00. How about that as an idea?

    • Question
      September 3, 2012

      Yes, I agree 100% Those of us who work and pray hard for our good grades are treated worse than those who don’t take their school work seriously and whose parents ‘cannot afford’ their education. We are treating those who work hard like dirt and those who don’t like scholars. No wonder the brighter ones among us do not stay here; there are other countries where industry and intelligence are better appreciated.

    • Anonymous
      September 3, 2012

      U tell u not to support the party? Any ways this has nothing to do with party. It’s for all our children regardless of which political party u support.

    • Coco DiFiolo
      September 3, 2012

      Be thankful for the little that you’re getting. Half a loaf is better than no bread unless you have cream of wheat or oats.Our country is not as rich as the big countries,so if government is giving you something, at least do something to help yourself.All you too like freeness.

      • nik
        September 4, 2012

        well said

      • Malgraysa
        September 5, 2012

        Coco, you forgetting people pay tax? Even when they have no regular employment they paying tax. 15% vat and their share of import duty and or excise every time they buy, even their food, their electricity bill or, God forbid, their lawyer!

      • Papa Dom
        September 5, 2012

        What planet are you on? If labour was interested in the children, why did they stop the free text book for students programme put in place by the UWP? They criticised everything the last administration did now they want to implement those very thing as vote catching tricks. The problem with all these pronouncements by skerritt is that, as usual, no planning is done before or even after those promises are made.

  18. PrettyS
    September 3, 2012

    wooosh! skerro workin!

    • MET YO
      September 3, 2012

      which one? the one in triple kay or king liar?

  19. D/can Citizen
    September 3, 2012

    Thank God for Skerrit! This support for “the less fortunate” and assistance in securing a sound education “for all and sundry” is UNPERCEDENTED and calls for much praise……

    Comrade I leave this verses of scripture with you;

    Proverbs 29:14 – “The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever”

    Proverbs 19:17 – “He that have pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again”

    The same aplies to anyone who possesses a generous spirit for it is more blessed to give than to receive.

    Whether you support the party or not or question some of it’s decisions you still will not deny that NEVER in the history of this country has any political party nor Prime Minister considered the situation of the poor and maginalized as much as the Roosevelt Skerrit led administration has!

    Skerrit truly cares and you can take that to the BANK!!!!!!!

    • Anonymous
      September 3, 2012

      I not taking to no bank nor! that is how dictators fool those gullible, then once they have established themselves they start killing those who are not as foolish who dare to talk.

    • Grand Bay School
      September 3, 2012

      I couldn’t agree more

  20. ideal
    September 3, 2012

    great promise, now let us see action all over the island, not only children of labourites but all children must be included, thanks mr PM

  21. ARE U SERIOUS????
    September 3, 2012

    nice

  22. Doc. LOve
    September 3, 2012

    Have we moved from the Red Clinic to the No Child Left Behind Clinic.This is not the way to go,Skeritt must have a plan to put people back to work.For instance,in vest more money in fishing and agriculture is the first move.The people of Dominca cannot to rely on hand outs as a form of servival,we need jobs and more jobs. and as many of the jobs available must be done by Dominicans.Government cannot be using grants and loans to finance projects and because a particular Government make those facilities available almost ninety percent of their nationals are employed.

    • Doc. LOve
      September 3, 2012

      Admin,please change the word from servival to survival.

  23. Grain Sel
    September 3, 2012

    He needs to improve on their(the committed teachers) salaries, because this profession is really demanding and challenging in this day and age,
    The committed teachers are giving their very best they become mothers, fathers, big brothers and sisters,care takers for some of those children of those careless mother and fathers out there in the class room is one thing but the real work really starts at home,
    He should known better,he once walk that same path.Yet it’s so sad to see how he is togging around with the negotiations for a mere 3%.
    This is not right.

  24. Anoushah Alie
    September 3, 2012

    That is a great promise, and I hope he maintains this promise. I also hope parents will do their part in making sure that their children attend school.

  25. DANZIGER
    September 3, 2012

    Yes PM thats good continue to helps the kids I love that.

    • auntypig
      September 3, 2012

      and purpose behind that is ?

      • Grand Bay School
        September 3, 2012

        The motive should not be a question. The need
        is more important for the kids….Stay blessed

      • Peeping Tom
        September 3, 2012

        Auntypig, if someone needs to show you the «purpose behind» investing in the young people of Dominica, then something is truly wrong with your vision. Of course, i will leave it up to you to figure out what could be the problem.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available