CATEGORY:EDUCATION
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By Trevor Thwaites (Inside Grenada correspondent)


ST. GEORGE, Grenada - The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has pledged to provide firm support for the further growth and enhancement of Education in Grenada. Chinese Ambassador to Grenada, His Excellency Qian Hongshen, gave the assurance last week Thursday as he spoke during a sending off ceremony for four students who will begin studies in China in September. Six Grenadian students also began studies at Universities in China last year after securing scholarships for the Chinese government.

“China is willing to provide more scholarships to Grenada for students to study and will explore other ways of corporation in the field of education”, Ambassador Hongshen said. He indicated that personnel exchanges between the two countries with Chinese and Grenadians learning from each other is on the cards. The students, who will begin studies next month are: Ziza Phillip and Darville Raye who will be studying Clinical Medicine; London Bullen, Civil Engineering; and Ian Marshall, Logistics.

The sending off ceremony was indeed a happy and satisfying moment for Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, who has been the mastermind of the many scholarships obtained by local students from friendly governments, following the destruction of the country by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. He told the students that success in their endeavours is crucial for others wanting to follow in their footsteps.

“You are ambassadors. Your success in this programme will set in train more opportunities for other students who are yearning for such opportunities”. Reports are that the six students, who began their tuition last year, have been doing pretty well and that the onus will be on them will be to follow suit. “The burden is enormous. You are expected to lay the foundation for others who deserve that opportunity. Those before you are holding the torch. We expect you to continue to run with it”, remarked Dr Mitchell.

Dr Mitchell left the students with words of encouragement. He told them that despite being in a new place, with a different language and culture, they need to focus at all times on the goal ahead. “There will be periods of loneliness and thoughts of quitting because of the challenges. Those who have it easy do not normally make it. In life there will always be challenges and if you are not prepared you are going to fail”. The Prime Minister wished the students the very best in their endeavours, which are being conducted over a five-year period.