Antiguan students who graduate on government scholarships will no longer be bonded to the island.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the plan is to do away with the bonding system for students.
He was speaking as the government signed a loan agreement for the expansion of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus.
The Signing Ceremony took place today between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Saudi Fund for Development.
Listen to Browne here:
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YAWN!
ANOTHER COG. UPP Had already announced this.
RED DEAD!
VOTE DEM ALL OUT!
#NextLEVEL!!!
This is a visionary move. I have always wondered about the necessity to bond students. While it is important to get them to contribute to the nation, bonding students has the effect of coercing persons who want to go on to advanced degrees back home. In the long run, many students simply do not return to university after they have served their bonds. We therefore end up with many students with bachelors degrees and very few who opt to return for masters and doctorates. Abolishing bonding will allow more students to go further.
#NextLEVEL!!
First proposed by UPP and now clogged by Gaston!!! ABLP has no vision!!!! No Plan!!! It’s all about let UPP first propose then we announce and make it seem like it’s our idea!! Next Level Cogging!!!
But upp didn’t do it did they
@ Wash an Basin: Yes, a visionary move conceived by the UPP. Give credit where it due — ablp didn’t invent this one.
Plenty students were offered government scholarships and then told there was no money in the middle of their studying. Let’s wait an see!
This is just a vote catching move. Why should students getting scholarships not be bonded? It is not a lifetime bond. We are not talking about small change we are talking about tens of thousands of dollars leaving the Treasury, this can’t be money well spent when the recipients are under no obligation to repay or provide service after completion of studies.
Gaston Conman Cogging again?
Desperate bad. Anymore last minute promise?
Wash and Basin ask Gaston fo one scholarship, the only bond you will need is to keep your backside out of prison.
One thing I notice about UPP and they supporters. They shamelessly like taking credit for other people’s ideas. Bareface enough to take credit for UWI Five Islands, even though they opposed it like they life depend on it. Bareface enough to take credit for Sandals expansion, even though that start when Sir Lester was PM. Bareface enough to take credit for this announcement by Uncle Gassy!
Tek win! Everything in Antigua and Barbuda, even the name Antigua and Barbuda, is UPP idea! Tek win!
@ Bolans Vere
you liard son of a B_t_h.
You all have no ideas, no critical thinkers…..just COG COG COG COG including abolishing work permits for Caricom and Dominican Republic nationals, removal of bonds for university graduates, water tanks, sandals expansion was under UPP and Gaston have the gall to ask for new investment from them when denying them the previous incentives given to them by Lester Bird, ABLP HAVE NO SHAME WHATSOEVER, and yet they complain that the UPP slate is weak……YOU GUYS OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES, and still cogging from DUNCE UPP CANDIDATES, WHAT A THING!!!
GET RID A DEM INCOMPETENT GOVERNMENT, THAT CANNOT EVEN PAY GOVERNMENT SUPPLIERS!!!
Bolans Vere the UPP did not opposed the establishment of a university. What the UPP opposed was the huffing of the secondary school. Both economics and logic would tell you that the University would be better located at the Old Navy base facility. That whole area would then be like a university city with AUA, ABICE and the Hotel Training School etc. Gaston and the ALP lack vision and logic.
It would be much appreciated if you would also retroactively honour the scholarship funds that some students were denied after they were already enrolled in higher education institutions..
There are no jobs in Antigua for the graduates, so those who study oversees don’t return anyway. Before you are going to talk about bonding, you have to have jobs the the graduates.
You want to spend borrowed resources to train nurses to go and work overseas. If the nurses can’t find jobs in Antigua, why are you wasting money to train them.
There are no jobs in Antigua for the graduates, so those who study oversees don’t return anyway. Before you are going to talk about bonding, you have to have jobs for the graduates.
You want to spend borrowed resources to train nurses to go and work overseas. If the nurses can’t find jobs in Antigua, why are you wasting money to train them.
This is good because there are not always jobs available for all graduates and those graduates should not have to feel as though they are breaking their word or a contract if they are forced to seek employment abroad. Persons employed abroad can still contribute to our national development via remittances to relatives, bringing friends to visit, and, if asked, partnering with persons living here on various developmental projects. E.g. there could be a small business investment fund set up that overseas nationals can contribute to to assist locals with startup businesses. Persons get paid much more for the same job when they work overseas in certain countries so they are more likely to have a few extra dollars to help others to thrive as well.
Also our aim should be to train all of our children to their full potential not just based on whether they will stay here or not. That being said, I do encourage all young people to try to give back and help to develop this country as it has the potential to be a great place to live if we work at it a bit instead of always running for seemingly greener pastures elsewhere.
Antiguans that Excell abroad make us proud. And that is an Intangible Asset. Just like when Sir Viv made us proud being the best batsman in the world of cricket at one point in his life. He let Antigua and Barbuda shine while playing cricket and many others that came after him benefited because of his fame. So will students that go abroad to work or further their studies and excel benefit others coming after them. People that have broken the bond will not easily come home for fear of any legal consequences that may occur. We can see these students as export services. Trust they will never forget where their roots are. The right choice from the visionary leader. And as always, the UPP had thought about it first. They always have things in the pipeline. Good thing ours are not in the pipeline. They are done. Executed with precision.
Wow!!! Thought you hibernating from the winter cold.
What else should we expect. They have been void of ideas for a long time . Only now that some people are paying attention.
ONE THOUGHT or TWO
“God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own created genius we make ourselves what we want to be. Follow always that great law. Let the sky and God be our limit and Eternity our measurement.”
“A people (especially our youths) without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Our education system MUST PRIORITIZE in our curriculum, STEM + creative Arts + business/entrepreneurship/trade, Pre-K to Tertiary, in EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL and INSTITUTION year-round, in-school, extra-curricular programs (after school activities), summer to unlock our students’ creative genius and guide, expose their future path to potential entrepreneurship and economic opportunities.
Our economic growth and social development REQUIRE that strategy.
Everything in life is related to STEM – the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics.
WE MUST GET RID OF OUR STEM INFERIORITY COMPLEX!
Our colonizers established their education system for elite management and unskilled labor linked to their economic wealth and cultural benefits.
It’s time to change that colonial culture!
Let’s interact with each other, with humility, grace, good intentions!
Save our HUMANITY, Save our YOUTHS, Save our ENVIRONMENT, Save our SOIL!!!
Respect
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