Ollivierre makes another plea for a secondary school in Canouan

Representative for the Southern Grenadines Terrance Ollivierre is of the opinion that something urgent must be done to improve the education system, if this country wishes to attain the goal of one University graduate per household by 2020.{{more}}

Making his contribution to the 2012 budget debate in Parliament on Thursday, January 12, Ollivierre mentioned issues surrounding education, especially in relation to the Southern Grenadines.

Giving an account of an encounter he had with a young man, Ollivierre emphasized the need for an institution in the Southern Grenadines, where persons can access secondary education.

According to Ollivierre, during a trip to Canouan at Christmas time, he met a young sailor who told him that he wishes to acquire a seaman’s license, but is unable to do so because he has a reading problem. The young man, whom Ollivierre said must have been about 30 years old, never had an opportunity to go to a secondary school.

“In regards to the people in the Grenadines, if the institution is not there, how can we expect them to help themselves, because leaving home and coming to the mainland for some of them is a problem…,” he stated.

Ollivierre further stated that he was saddened, as he had expected this issue to be addressed in the Prime Minister’s Budget Address.

“Sometimes you read the newspapers and there are articles there about people talking and complaining about what is happening and it’s really time, please, that the problems be addressed!

“We are talking about a university graduate in every home by 2020. For some of these families, it’s the first opportunity for some of them going to secondary school and if they drop out, then how can we achieve that goal by 2020? We really need to sit down and iron out and come up with a solution…,” Ollivierre stressed.

Ollivierre further stated that he is also saddened when he travels through constituencies and hears of the young people who are on the streets just ‘liming’.

“They don’t have the skills; sometimes they go and get themselves in trouble because they don’t have the skills…everybody must be given the opportunity to go to secondary school,” he said, making a plea for the establishment of a secondary school in Canouan.

Ollivierre also commended the people of Mayreau, who he said contracted a boat to take residents of Mayreau who are students of the Union Island secondary school to school each day. He, however, requested in Parliament that assistance be given in terms of transportation for persons who use the boat.

Ollivierre also stressed that the rate of drop-out from secondary schools must be addressed.

“Despite the increased access, we are having drop-outs and something must be done,” he said.