PM: No child will be left behind

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has stated that no child or teacher will be left behind in the in the attainment of education under the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration.

Speaking at the opening of the new building to house the Intermediate High School at McKies Hill last week Thursday, the Prime Minister said that his government knew the quality of life a sound education gives, and promised more primary and secondary schools throughout the mainland and Grenadines.{{more}}

He outlined that while children were getting better schools, the teachers were also being looked after with more scholarship opportunities and a revamped teachers college training programme. Dr. Gonsalves said since his administration had taken government, the number of teachers trained has doubled and a monthly stipend of $400 is paid to student teachers.

The Prime Minister said while he has been harshly criticised for building timber schools, he thought it best to build the schools now, rather than wait for the funding to materialize years from now to erect concrete schools.

He said if the timber schools were properly maintained they could last up to 12 years and emphasied that when children don’t have good education they can’t get a good job and many end up in prison.

He recalled that he was also heavily pounded for turning several primary schools into secondary schools and said he did this because the birth rate was falling. The Prime Minister said that his leadership was clear on what it wanted to accomplish and was not going to be distracted.

Dr Gonsalves remembered also being told that he was “diluting” or “lessening the quality” of the Grammar School and Girls’ High School by “putting poor people children” in these schools.

He said that such utterances were backward and was an insult because the same children have been performing extremely well.

The Prime Minister said that he would be moving forward with a sense of urgency to get several of his goals achieved and that he doesn’t want backward people holding him back.