PM: Scholarships May Soon Depend on Family Income

1. As well they should!!! Contrary to popular belief, there is no natural correlation between family wealth and intellectual capacity. For far too long, many of our potential scholars have been left on the shelf to rot on account of (lack of) family’s financial inability to pay university-level financial costs . A move long overdue!

2. I respect that this overview is needed but also a person should be able to benefit in some way from years of high level, consistent work through out their schooling. Also with exemplary CXC achievements should come with a measure of reward to that student. So if that little bit of respite from their tertiary education costs has to come from the government’s purse, so be it.

3. What about scholarships for outstanding exemplary students? I hope this is not a way to buy votes by awarding scholarships to children of Cronies!!!

   I would have expected to hear this from the Director of Education, not the chief mouthpiece of Rum Shop Radio!!

4. Does it finally hits home that not everyone should be entitled to the same thing. And that is with all of your so called charity programs. Lets start with the School Uniform program. Means Testing would eliminate many parents from accessing free monies. I will leave the Free Books for now. But lets go to the PDV Carib Senior Citizens Utility Voucher Program. Means Testing. I should not qualify. I do not need it. I have a good pension and I have my own business. Why then give me $100 per month against my utility bills. And there are many more like me. Then we have the Peoples Benefit Program giving $215 of Venezuelan monies to everyone that is disables or those that have a monthly income of less then $900 per month per household. Too many loopholes here. Disability does not mean poverty and certainly doesn’t mean need for financial help. Differently abled people can still work and make a living. The President Bernard Warner is one such a person. He has a fulltime government job. Why should he then be entitled to a debit card with $215 every month. He makes the same money as his collegues, but they are not entitled to a debit card from the Peoples Benefit program. Meanwhile Venezuelans are suffering because of the US Sanctions while Antiguans spending their monies. if we start implementing Means Testing in many of our social programs we would safe lots of money and focus on assisting those that really need it. Disabled persons need to be assisted in making them less dependent on others. Teach them how to do things for themselves. Good Humans did one of the best things the other day by building a ramp at the Potter School I believe it was so that one disabled girl could go to school without assistant from others. And she could also go to the bathroom. That is the kind of assistant that our government should focus on. Make life easier for those differently able. A good old friend, late Johnny Alert, was involved in a motor bike accident and was paralized from the hip down. But what I liked about Johnny, who was a welder by profession. He made sure he could still do his work. Infact he invented lots of equipment that would aid those who have the same ability problems and even his car was done in such a way that allowed him to be independent and drove by himself. I mean this is not rocket science. In the developed world many disabled people drive cars. When they were renovating the old adminstrative building which now housed the Ministry of Health, there was this construction worker that had no legs but he worked on the building and climbed the scaffoldings and could be seen all on top of the roof. A man like that doesn’t need a PDV Carib debit card. He needs assitant to get a job and earn a living.

5. Maybe look into avoiding the misapropriation of funds. Whole ton a money keep going into other pple pockets instead of the students, but we not talking about that.

   Whole ton of non nationals come and get scholarships under the Antiguan umbrella then ship out after, but you not talking about that

6. So you mean to tell me there was no means test before? So even people who can afford are benefitting?

7. This comes now after he pickney done get a whole scholarship to Monroe.

8. We have been contributing to the education levy since it was implemented, so don’t talk crap here now Mr PM. A lot of non-nationals pickney have been getting scholarships, and me who born here pickney in limbo for a scholarship. I have to be vending on weekends just to meet my child tuition monthly plan payment. A lot of born Antiguan parents are in the same predicament. My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all born here in this little Antigua. Born Antiguans parents pickney should get first priority, anybody else come after. Yes, non-national parents do contribute to the education levy.
   Why not implement the same education scholarship system that St Kitts and Nevis has, the government there pay half of the tuition and parents pay the other half to any university.

9. If Antiguans dont apply for it, is foreigners gonna come and get these funds. And is not Antigua thwy planning to stay either.

   Go and check it out yourself.

10. Well…if the government is spending over $50 million on scholarships, then it makes sense to ensure that those who truly need the assistance are prioritized. Education must remain accessible, but fairness demands that resources go first to families who would otherwise struggle to afford it. This is a step toward responsibility and equity. So I agree. 110 percent

11. Yes to accountability! We can’t keep doing things just because it’s tradition. The system must evolve to ensure equal opportunity and long-term sustainability

12. Wow! MEANS testing by the backdoor from this government. This will only expand and help those that “who you now” and “those in the now” will be the ones first in line obtain government backed scholarships.Wow!

    Which only means an increase in even more nepotism and cronyism plaguing the country – As if Antigua & Barbuda isn’t already full of them.

    Only those already in HIGH profile positions will be rubbing their hands with glee for their families, close friends and associates.

    All to the detriment of high IQ (but poor) students with potential.

    WATCH AND SEE …

13. *,”who you know” and “those in the Know” 😉

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