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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Monday, June 4, 2007 – Some relief has been brought to the lives of needy
students and by extension their parents via a benevolent gesture from the
Taiwanese government.
Last week's presentation of scholarships to over 253 needy students amounted to
approximately US$100.000.00. The gesture was described as a manifestation of the
shared commitments of both governments to developing the educational potential
of their people.
Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Javier Ching San Hou
says his country like Saint Lucia has its wealth in its human resource.
“We have been investing a huge share of our national budget on education and
human resource development in the past five decades. It is against this policy
background that our country could manage to provide enough high quality man
power to help prosper the economy during the pursuit of our nation building
objectives.”
Meantime Minister for Foreign Affairs Rufus Bousquet says if the prosperity of
the nation lies in education, then the scholarship assistance given on Thursday,
May 31st puts the country's future on a positive path.
“Thanks to the benevolence of the government of Taiwan, we are receiving a small
token, something which will hopefully assist each and everyone of you to be able
to do your job better; to be able to have that sense of satisfaction that ther a
student who needs a little help a parent who can use a little relief is going to
get that relief.”
Minister Bousquet says such an occasion is also meaningful to the teachers who
cope first hand with the impact of deprivation on the educational development of
the youth.
“Because we have responsibility for the country, we want to see all the children
do well; because if they don't, naturally we all are going to pay the price. We
're all going to pay the social consequences of those children not reaching
their full potential. And I think as teachers you want to see your students
realise their true potential. There's nothing that would hurt you more than
knowing a student who can do well becoming frustrated and drifting by the way
side.”
Ministry of Education officials expressed their gratitude to the Taiwanese
government for the assistance in education and indicated a strong desire to
continue to work closely.
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