Over 80 scholarships, bursaries awarded to children of members of the police force

Recipients of scholarships from the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) have been encouraged to maintain discipline and fight peer pressure while their parents have been advised to guide, assist and supervise them.

On Wednesday August 15, the RSVGPF in partnership with the SVG Police Co-operative Credit Union Limited (SVGPCCU) and the RSVG Ex-police Association presented over 80 scholarships, bursaries and assistance packages to children of members of the RSVGPF.

The ceremony was held at the Police Canteen upstairs the Kingstown Vegetable Market and saw the SVGPCCU give three scholarships and 10 bursaries, the Ex-police

Association give three students EC$200 each and the remainder of scholarships and bursaries given by the RSVGPF.

“Your child is your responsibility and they are embarking on another stage of the journey and and it is important that you pay even more attention to them,” Commissioner of Police (COP) Colin John told parents gathered at the event. He stressed that the students’ move to secondary school means that they need guidance, assistance and supervision now more than ever.
To the children, the COP offered some advice.

“You are going into a different environment where you would be meeting children from different social upbringings. You would find children who unfortunately are exposed to sex, drugs and come from homes where parents are selling or using drugs.

“They may want to influence you. You would be exposed to peer pressure, different social activities in some cases which may not be favourable. Remember your parents training and why you are there,” the COP lectured.

He said it should be easy for the students to adhere to these rules because, “the fact that you are here today is because you are smart children.”

Going on, the Commissioner said the police scholarship is second to none in the country as it is the only scholarship that offers books, transportation allowance, examination material and pays for all subjects at CXC/CSEC. He added also that the scholarship also funds students who move to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College and pays for CAPE.

COP John also informed that the scholarship award has been around for the last 60 years and has helped to produce, doctors, lawyers, farmers and politicians among many other professionals.

“This scholarship is the best in SVG and I am not saying that because I am the Commissioner. My daughter benefited so I am talking from experience,” the COP told the gathering .

Also commenting, President of the SVG Police Co-operative Credit Union who is also President of the SVG Ex-police Association Horace Williams said that the Ex-Police Association raised the funds through cake and food sales.

He said that the group’s aim is to provide an economically disadvantaged child with a full secondary school scholarship in the future.

Also commenting, Inspector Henry Providence said the police scholarship initiative began in 1958 and it is unique in that it is the only scholarship in the country where every member of the organisation, once their child or children are successful at CPEA, they receive a scholarship.

The keynote address was delivered by Timothy Scott on behalf of his sister Dr Ankie Scott-Joseph (Lecturer in Economics, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados), who was a holder of a police scholarship.