Everyone should be celebrating the achievements of our young people who have done well in academia, and today I would like to congratulate the 11 students who have achieved Merit Scholarship in 2011.
As the names of the students were read on the TV, I noticed that most of them receiving a scholarship by the government were from expensive private schools.
I also note one of the recipients, one in particular, was the daughter of a former board member of a telephone company and present executive manager at a major local bank in the country.
Clearly, the young recipient’s parents could have afforded any university in the world; after all she is a graduate of a very prestigious institution.
Government must make sure Merit Scholarship go to the underprivileged. A graduate that is an undiscovered future professional from Bain Town or some deprived community, who is trapped in a world of war but has the potential and grades from a public school to make the city shine.
If we continue granting opportunity to the privileged, the politically connected, the rich and aristocrats of our society, what are we telling public scchol students and the poor, who has equally done well?
No child, particularly the poor, should be left behind.
Signed,
A firm believer in Public Education
