Government currently assisting over 500 students to study abroad

Saint Jean spoke at a meeting with the students who received assistance for 2019-2020

The government of Dominica is currently assisting a total of 578 young Dominicans to further their education at various learning institutions abroad.

Education Minister Petter Saint Jean made the disclosure while addressing a meeting at the Newtown Primary School on Tuesday with students who have received financial assistance for the academic year 2019-2020. Close to 350 students are leaving to study abroad this year.

“It is actually 578 young Dominicans that the government of Dominica is actually paying tuition, housing, in some cases tuition only and some of them on full scholarships,” Saint Jean said.

The last financial year ended in June but according to Saint Jean, it is expected that the 2019-220 budget will be presented in parliament “somewhere about end of July, early August…I cannot give you the exact date.”

He said the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit must approve some of the scholarships, “even before we go to parliament and approve the budget.”

Saint Jean revealed that for this new financial year 2019-2020, the government has already given a commitment amounting to more than $10 million.

“So even before we’ve gone to parliament, we have a commitment to young Dominicans…,” he stated. “We have already given commitment amounting to $10.9 million.”

A large number of students attending the meeting

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15 Comments

  1. free
    July 19, 2019

    A lot of students to pay for, if parents were getting good salaries they would help their children. Many will not come back, they will make new overseas

  2. Plato
    July 18, 2019

    I am one who support education and academic advancement. However, I do not think the policy is meeting it’s objective when uneducated, party supporters are promoted over people with pedigree, and are given huge salaries which do not commensurate with their education or should I say the lack of education.
    I keep asking government and the local media to check what is happening at the water company.
    Disgrace, disgrace, disgrace.

  3. Albert Nelson
    July 18, 2019

    these guys are so outrageous with their propaganda, if you take a close look you’ll see that most of the recipients of these scholarships are young beautiful women whom our parliamentary members view as potential side pces and mistresses. So many people, students who actually need and want these scholarships to further their life or professions cant get them because most times these scholarships are given solely on the purpose of political support or who’s getting into who’s pants and say these things form experience.

    My name is Albert Nelson and I say change is a must. these guys are nothing but jokers. I’m with the UWP all the way!!!!!Q

    • Blaze
      July 19, 2019

      TRUE STATEMENT BREDA…….Great observation.

  4. Iamanidiot
    July 18, 2019

    To what ends? How many of them stay in America, China, Croatia, Australia , where ever else when they finish study?
    And do I blame them? No, when you finished studying Aviation, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Com Sci, where exactly you going to work?
    Now lets say you’re a Com Sci and you get a job at NBD, where else are the others going to work? The rest of the 500? Where in Dominica do apply with an Biochemistry degree? Ministry of Agriculture ? to make 2800 a month?
    Now I know a genius is going to tell me “Oh you can work for yourself”, But unless you’re a doctor and can open your own office. Can you really do that? Lets be honest.
    Why doesn’t the gov/t entice some science lab to come here and people in science could have a job doing ‘molecular science (or whatever you all do).

    Sad when I see young people on the labour train and I ask them “What you want to study? Biochemistry. “Nice, where you plan to work after”?
    “US” or most times “no answer your…

  5. Casio
    July 18, 2019

    Psychology at its finest.

  6. Hmmm
    July 18, 2019

    Government, I hope is grass cutting or hotel maid and busboy school you sending them to. If you allow them to study anything else, none of them will see the need to come back here.

  7. Tetecarlbass.
    July 18, 2019

    What is the big seen. Every government in the pass has helped student. What the students would like to know is, when they return, will their be a job awaiting them.

  8. Bad News
    July 18, 2019

    Study abroad is the team used but in actuality it is over 500 Dominican students Skerrit helping to run from Dominica. Hundreds of young people are leaving to study abroad each year and are doing very well; however very few are motivated to return home because they know they will not get a job and government telling some not to come back. Meanwhile Skerrit continues to bring down plane loads of uneducated and untrained Haitians to attend Ross University

  9. Jonathan Y St Jean
    July 18, 2019

    It’s a good thing that the government is assisting young citizens in their educational endeavors. But the question remains what does the government have for these young people to do so they can make a valuable contribution to the country in return? The NEP program is the government’s beacon on a hill for creating employment but that would be underemployment for the young persons who return. So Skerritt what plans have you to assist the young people who will be returning after successfully completing their studies? There are so many existing civil servants who are not benefiting from working for the government because your government has not been confirming their positions in the public service, also the low minimum wage in Dominica doesn’t allow for adequate compensation for workers. The government cannot absorb all the returning youths. I’m sure your response will be that hotels will be opening soon but do you think everyone wants to work in that sector? Half baked assistance

  10. KID ON THE BLOCK
    July 17, 2019

    Ibo MALAPROP France, even if you are a stranger to the truth, please clean your waxy ears, open your(closed) eyes and put on your magnified(eyes) glasses and take note.
    The evidence is right before you. The TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH. Isn’t something happening? Over 500 STUDENTS OVERSEAS are being assisted by the Government.

  11. Blank
    July 17, 2019

    To be honest I don’t expect half of them to return with degrees. Only the strongest will survive.
    It reminds me of college where when the term starts you seeing how much triple majors. Time 2nd semester reach where all of them?
    Where we be on our little island we think the outside world easy.

  12. Gouvelma
    July 17, 2019

    Who said that I could not be objective? Well I can be and I am. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Congratulations to all of the recipients of government assistance. I hope you use the opportunity and assistance to reach for the sky and make yourselves, your family, Dominica and whatever institutions you will be attending proud. Be mindful that the assistance is someone’s tax dollar and it is being loaned to you. You will be expected to return to give your expertise and knowledge gained to the development of dominica. I assure you that prime Minister Lennox Linton will welcome you back home and do all he can to accommodate you and use you knowledge and expertise. Congratulations and blessings to you all!!°

  13. Casio
    July 17, 2019

    out you go Peter Pepper. Because when or IF they return, they will have to work for NEP as the business environment and private sector is in dire state. The government cannot continue to use grant and CBI money to keep the country alive. This is not good business or economics. My hope is that these 500 student you are supporting will become knowledgeable enough to realize the poor job being done, and will become smart enough to know that even though the government has paid for their schooling, they DO NOT OWE the PM or GOVERNMENT THEIR VOTE. Enough of the bribery. In the final hour, things that should have been done decades ago, are being rushed and done within days and weeks. Saying to the public that we can have the country looking beautiful and operating properly, we just dont want to do it, unless elections is close. then we will seem to look like we are.

  14. Tellmesomethingelse
    July 17, 2019

    Tell me something?

    Is this new? Is this the first government in the history of Dominica to have students study abroad?

    Please, find something else to commend yourselves on.
    How about ensuring that there are jobs waiting or readily available for them when they return? Are they all going to work for NEP? Can you guarantee that instead of “oh we are supporting this number of students overseas” please and a jhay steupes.

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