A choice between your children and the NDP

In the upcoming general elections, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be making a choice between the future of their children and the NDP. When faced with that decision, the choice should be a very easy one. As Vincentians, we have all been told that the fastest route out of poverty is through education. Over the past fifteen years we have seen a public display of the efforts that parents, especially females, have put into ensuring that their children obtain a good education from pre-school all the way to university. No one can deny that under the ULP administration parents have become very confident that, once their offsprings perform, attending a university is a virtual certainty. No longer are the walls of a university reserved for those who can afford to pay the tuition fees. Every child, no matter how poor, is given the opportunity to attend university to pursue a first degree, provided that the child performs well enough to matriculate and gain acceptance to a university. Never before have parents felt a sense of relief and comfort knowing that their children can become university graduates. No longer are the children of poor people in this country excluded from obtaining a university education.

Under the ULP administration the children of the poor are offered financial assistance to attend universities and to obtain a university education at home or abroad. The disadvantaged loan facility, tuition scholarships, the payment of economic costs and other bursaries and financial assistance are available to students who are attending universities or who wish to pursue a university education. Last year over 2000 persons pursued tertiary education with the assistance from government. This year, 2025 there has been an increase in the assistance given and more persons have been the beneficiaries of the government’s programmes to open avenues to those who are deserving. In many cases the government has secured scholarships from foreign governments and universities in several countries to enable our students to attend universities and to get a better education.

The New Democratic Party has not been able to convince parents that those children will remain in university. There is nothing done or said by the NDP to convince parents that it will be able to continue the programmes of the ULP and also to provide hope to students and parents that the money will be available to assist the students. Responsible parents will not threaten the future of their children with empty promises and false hopes. It appears that in this election parents will have to choose the ULP to continue and to secure their children’ education or support the NDP and threaten the educational opportunities of their children. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes.” Many students must be very concerned about whether they will be able to continue their courses under an NDP administration. This uncertainty is most unfortunate and must not be tolerated. Parents are therefore left to consider whether they should put their children’ future at risk by voting the NDP or improving their children’ chances of obtaining a university education by ensuring that the ULP remains in office. For most parents, if not all, that choice should be easy. The paramountcy of the child must always prevail.

The political
prosecutor