The Dominica government plans to introduce a new policy which will be used to guide students under its university scholarship programme.
Education Minister, Octavia Alfred, made that announcement recently on Prime Minister Skerrit’s weekly radio talk show.
“We have a new document which is a policy that will guide how we do the scholarships and how we trace our students,” she said. “Again, part of it was because of COVID because when COVID just came, we didn’t even know where some of our students were in some cases, so that policy will also help us to know where our students are.”
The Minister said that the new policy will also help to ensure that students are doing study programmes that are on the national list of priorities “so that when they come home we can use them.”
The policy, according to Alfred, will also guide the ministry of education in ensuring that students do not just change their courses after six months.
“Because, if the government sponsors you to go away to study, something that the country needs and when you get to where you are, you realize ‘that’s a little too challenging for me’ and you change, you would not be able to do that without asking permission,” she stated.
She said a number of students change their courses without seeking permission or even informing the government.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Chandler Hyacinth added that the tertiary education policy will also include a time frame for receiving applications and a time frame for approvals, “so we would not have to be getting applications all through the year and people expect to get a response all through the year.”
Hyacinth explained that once the Ministry of Education receives an application, it is usually reviewed to ensure that the person meets the required standards and with the new policy, a strict procedure will be followed.
“And we prepare our matrix; this is submitted to a committee for review and selection,” she stated. “Once persons are selected from that pool, then it is submitted to the Ministry of Finance for final endorsement and approval and once we receive those approvals, that is when a letter will be issued.”
According to Hyacinth, approval may be given for a scholarship which includes full tuition and accommodation or for financial assistance which would cover a portion of the tuition or housing, “or it could be a grant where we just give you a one time amount for that period.”
She said the Ministry of Education is working with the ICT department to set up an electronic database which will form part of the new policy.
“We are setting out a new application form that will be placed online. So, once you fill in the information, we can document it,” Hyacinth stated. “There are some forms that we want; we want to make it mandatory that you submit your grades.”
Students will also be expected to sign documents which allow the ministry of education to be able to access their grades from universities and according to Hyacinth, there will be penalties when students fail to meet certain standards, “there are bonding requirements depending on how much the government has assisted you with.”
It is a comprehensive document, she noted, which will reform and give some structure to how the government deals with financial assistance scholarships for students.”
When is our tuition going to be paid? Grateful they are willing to help students, but a new academic year is about to begin and tuition hasn’t been paid yet. Some student cannot proceed into the new academic year with unpaid tuition. Government communication with student studying abroad they assisting is very poor. Sigh stupes
This woman hasn’t got an idea, she is totally out of her depth as all her fellow so called ministers!
It’s really sad just talk talk talk but students tuition hasn’t even been paid yet and a new academic year is about to begin. This is ridiculous.
Ability to pay should be an exclusion criteria. Too many potential bright stars from poor families who have not got the ability or means are disadvantaged! Therefore assess ability to pay and be transparent.
A statement that confirms the administration of the education system complies with the general chaos of the government.
We did not know were the students were?We do not have the grades of students?Just who has been awarding these financial support???
Allu will set up policies but will drop them soon because it wouldnt apply to everybody. It will apply for the small man but when the big bosses come and sit down and say…do so and so for my son. You going and say no? Right now it have one play hop scotch from school to school.
The Minister said that the new policy will also help to ensure that students are doing study programmes that are on the national list of priorities.
It would be helpful if the government could list the study programmes that are considered eligible and hence in the best interest of Dominica.
What exactly in on our national list of priorities? building hotels aka white elephants?
The approach is a good one. It should be linked with long-term integrated development planning and modern resource management approaches towards sustainable socio-economic, environmental and cultural development.
I note that the Ministry does not have a database!?
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PAPA METE. ALAS! SOR PAS FEB NUH!! You mean since the late 1990s and especially after 2000 with Telecoms reform we have been screaming about ICTs from the mountain tops, the Ministry now woke up to the realization that they did not have a database? WORSE STILL, THEY DID NOT KNOW WHERE SOME OF THEIR STUDENTS WERE? Someone is kidding me really!! I would not even announce that – I would just quickly fix it
I spare the new minister but what was wrong with her predecessors and their team?
It is good though that this matter is being addressed.
Ensure that the new online application form is accompanied by clear and concise Qualification Criteria and Selection Criteria as a confidence tool to applicants.
I have never read such crap coming from education officials for my entire lifetime! Can you imagine the Minister for Education stating that when Covid-19 came, the MOE did not know where some of the students THEY awarded were??!
!!
Mrs. Alfred, scholarships are AWARDED, not DONE!
The government has been in office for 20 years and is now putting in place a “policy”
They talk of using ICT to teach in the classroom, but are only now establishing a database.
Why did you all change the policy you met? I am convinced that, according to the statements from these two officials, that our education system is already in shambles.
Wow unto the parents who sit idly by while their children, and by extension, the country’s human capital goes to hell in a handbasket!!
HOTEP!
We want to know when our tuition fees will be paid with the academic year at an end and a new one about to start.
That’s what you need to tell your parents. They the one that responsible to send you to school.
This is the real question!! so many outstanding fees despite reports made public that the payments were made. I know of students who are sitting the whole year out because of non payment after commitment letters were sent to the schools.