Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that in the new term early childhood education for children between the ages of two and five will be free.
He made the announcement while addressing the launching ceremony of Dominica Labour Party (DLP) candidate for Roseau North, Miriam Blanchard, on Thursday night.
According to Skerrit, his government is ready for a complete transformation of the education system to respond to current-day and future challenges confronting Dominica and the world.
“Because we understand the importance of education at all levels, and so in the new term ladies and gentlemen, though we have made great progress in ensuring that every child has access to early childhood preschool education there are still some who are falling from the cracks,” he said. “And we are saying to the children, to the parents of children between two and five years, every one of you will have access to early childhood and preschool education in Dominica, paid for by the Government of Dominica.”
Furthermore, he said this is the formative years for the children and it is important that they get a good head start.
He indicated that everything his government said it will do, “we have been able to do it for the people of this country.”
Meanwhile, Skerrit revealed that his party will also place focus heavily on skills development in Dominica in the new term.
That is, technical vocational skills, “to ensure that investment that we are making in Dominica can be sustained.”
Prime Minister Skerrit announced that construction of a new Goodwill Secondary School (GSS) will be the first among six schools to be constructed in 2023.
The GSS was severely damaged during the passage of Hurricane Maria in September 2017.
Skerrit explained that the only challenge the government had with the school is that the space was too small, “because we wanted to build a bigger school.”
“As a matter of fact when the Chinese engineering firm designed the school it ended up half of the playing field and we had to condense it,” he revealed. “But it will be an edifice, it will be a building all of us will be proud of. And one of the aspects of that school we are highlighting heavily is the technical vocational wing of the Goodwill Secondary School.”
This is a political ploy for his upcoming dictatorship “election”. Unfortunately some voters believe all his nonsense. If he tells you that the sky is blue and the sun rises in the east you better go outside and check. Every time he holds one of his “fake elections” he comes out with something new to fool the voters. He has been fooling them for over 20 years and became a millionaire taking all their money. When things get tough and the country falls apart he will flee Dominica with all the money already stashed in his overseas bank accounts.
Schemes like this made during political campaigns never goes well. This should have been something done during the 20 plus years he was in power. As always, this is yet another sign of his manipulative ways.
Bravo coco, “promises made promises kept” keep on lying Dr Dr, one day one day come no day; when will this nincompoop stop; “teacher Percy say if you tell a lie you going to hell as soon as you die”
Man you really need your head examined. So now you putting those private pre-schools out of business? What about free market economy? Do you want us to be like Venezuela where the pre-schools are now used to indoctrinate of children from an early age so they will only know one form of government? No man you are stretching the joke too far. Now even the children at that age will owe uncle Skerro (not the state) for free and corrupt political education that we as a country can’t afford? So I assume all the private preschool teachers will become unemployed because even if they are contracted the treasury will not have the money to pay. THIS IS A DISASTER IN THE MAKING!
I therefore continue to advocate…NO REFORM, NO ELECTION!
More majee. Tell us your rationale and reasoning behind this? Is now single mothers and them going and vive. And just drop their children off. They doh paying for it!!!!? well look is now trouble start. When little daycare have to now be waiting on government for their stipend and paycheque. When before they could get it before the term even start as parents would pay upfront or have a payment plan. NOW!?? free daycare? for those malcassay children!!? watch those that just making children start to bring all theirs to the preschool now while the teachers will have to go treasury and ask about if government didnt pay yet. the private sector itself at what point will it get its act together
That last paragraph, best you had just spit in your hand and slap me in my face. insulting you are. and those fools he have blindly following him agreeing. that is why roseau north doesnt like these liars. Especially goodwill people, we not stupid. because the land too small? morne daniel not…
More dependency bribes from the double doctorate dude. When will the pied Piper provide the necessary environment for industrious Dominican to do for themselves like proud people. He was even promising free layette to all pregnant women. He got leadership of the party without having to work for it, he had the Chinese and Venezuelan government’s give free things whilst he’s leader so it’s become his modus operandi, and sees everything only through the lens of mendicancy. He even had the hard-pressed citizens during COVID-19 pay in excess of $64,000 monthly for his extravagant living instead of footing the bill himself. Only a louse behaves like that, living off the blood, sweat and tears of others. If there were good paying jobs most citizens would be able to provide for themselves instead of these bribery. Dominca I’m sorry
That cupboard with all the promises must be full by now. Just don’t open the door you will get buried under them if they fall out.
To Roosevelt Skerrit:
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing 1 Cor 13:3
So because Roosevelt Skerrit, the self named Villain, is expecting a kindergarten cabinot he offering free baby seating for children 3-5?
If he hasn’t done it seems like he will soon give out Mel for free man
It really seems like the economy has collapsed and to cover things up PM Skerrit is giving every thing for free? Seems like everything has crashed according to this song https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IxF1pz3VrfE
The best “education” for a child between the ages of two end five is a loving home environment. But that depends upon the parents having sufficient income so that one or the other can devote time with the child.
And the best training for skills is an apprenticeship. But that depends upon having skilled artisans available to train future generations and moreover, on the recipients being willing to devote the years it takes to learn.
Skerrit call his sharm election and now he crying for votes. Somebody tell skerrit we don’t want no more hand outs, we want to work to feed our families ’cause we are independent people. That’s why we not voting in 6 constituencies and in 15 constituencies we splitting the votes left, right and center….
Aben Wei Skerrit. Free housing, free dance, free food, free world creole festival tickets, free and now free education?
So everything free? PM with this announcement you are saying that you know after 18 yrs as pM and 22 yrs of Labor your socialist agenda has destroyed our economy and people have no money to buy anything.
But PM I also know that freeness comes with a price as my grandma would always say “freeness brings worryness”. I am really worried about that freeness of yours and what’s your agenda.
Boy Dominicans I know UWP boycotted the elections but please for country sake let’s vote out everyone on the DLP wagon and save Dominica because I see trouble, real trouble coming
Oh wow… you mean Dominica doesn’t have free education for children between 2 and 5 years old? I thought that was already happening in Dominica. This is very important as we try to increase the population – it will encourage more people to have babies seeing that they don’t have to spend money on education. Good call, although I believe this is already happening in Dominica.
SOCIALISM ALERT Y’ALL.
The truth is hidden in plain sight!!!
“Nothing comes for free in this world. You can breath in air only when you spend one breath out!” (Author Unknown)
So he is saying that the engineer is a fool. If I told you that this is my land space so please design my house for me then why should the plan go in my neighbor’s yard. Anyone that trust what he says is a fool. I would love to debate someone on that. SMH
Big stone – school designed not taking the size of land into account?
Bigger stone – free school education from a government that can hardly pay merchants etc. on time?
Coming soon – free travel to the moon
…and more election bribes!
He LIE!!!
PM announced a new Roseau in 2009.
PM has announced several International airports.
PM announced electoral reform.
PM announced to give title to home owners.
PM announced to give proper accounting for more than $4 000, 000,000.00 and to embarrass Linton with the accounting.
PM announced National Health Insurance.
PM will announce heaven on earth!
I announce that this PM is an INVETERATE LIAR!!!
Why should the people believe Skerrit, the King of Liar.
We are awaiting for the airport, it’s 20 plus years…