381 students receive Taiwanese Scholarship awards

Three hundred and eighty one students from primary, secondary and post-secondary schools are the recipients of Taiwanese Scholarship awards.{{more}}

The award ceremony took place on Thursday, November 4, at the Peace Memorial Hall.

The scholarships are a part of an agreement between the Government of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan and St. Vincent in the Grenadines, in which the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) donated US$100,000 to underprivileged Vincentian students. The scholarship programme which began in 1997 ended in 2008 and was renewed for another five years in 2009.

Speaking at the ceremony Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan Weber Shih, expressed sympathy to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on behalf of the government of the ROC on Taiwan, on the devastation experienced, by the passage of Hurricane Tomas. He also wished the country a speedy recovery.

Shih stated that thousands of families have benefited from the programme which has been very successful in providing financial support to students in need.

Offering remarks on behalf of Girlyn Miguel, Minister of Education, Lou-Anne Gilchrist, Chief Education Officer, said that the event is another manifestation of the government’s commitment to education.

She added that the government is working assiduously to ensure that learning facilities are accessible to all children, including the highest achievers, to the physically and mentally challenged and the children at risk.

Gilchrist also related Miguel’s words of encouragement on the rebuilding of lives in the aftermath of the storm. The Minister of Education encouraged persons to move forward, asking all persons to play a part in rebuilding “this blessed isle.”

“We would encounter challenges. But we can turn those challenges into opportunities. We are a resilient people and we will bounce back,” Gilchrist read.

The ceremony also featured performances in dance by the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School and the Biabou Methodist School and song and music by the Bishops’ College Kingstown and students of the SVG Community College, Technical Education Division.