Published 22 August 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News
Dr. Douglas promises reintroduction of REACH, congratulates successful CAPE and CXC students
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, AUGUST 22ND 2017 – With hundreds of students receiving their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) results last Friday, former prime minister and Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, has expressed concern that scores of them will be unable to pursue tertiary level education as a result of the decision of the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government to abandon the REACH – Recognising everyone’s Ability to Climb Higher. – introduced by his Labour Party Administration in August 2013.
The programme provided two-year scholarships and grant financing for students in the Federation leaving Secondary School to easily pursue higher academic learning and certified technical and vocational training.
“Today, I am certain that as these successful students contemplate their future, whether to go into the field of work, where they would have very serious challenges, or whether they would want to go on to the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) to study, I am certain that their parents today, as they have expressed to me over the past few days, they just do not have the money to send them to the CFBC. This disturbs me,” said Dr. Douglas as he congratulated the successful students during his weekly radio call-in programme “Ask the Leader” of Kyss 102.5 FM.
Dr. Douglas said the REACH was one of several programmes to ensure that every high school student enrolling in the CFBC or the Nevis Sixth Form College was provided with a basic yearly academic allowance in the amount of EC$2,500 to assist them in meeting their financial obligations associated with post-secondary education.
The programme also aimed at boosting student enrolment in special interest areas of study in the subject areas of Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Foreign Languages entitled them to receive an additional EC$1000.00 per year as a special incentive for pursuing these subjects.
“We wanted to make sure they become our physicists, scientists, biologists and mathematicians by using the available resources of the state, thus investing in our students so that they can compete with their peers in the rest of the world with pride and dignity,” said Dr. Douglas.
He noted also that under the REACH programme a student who passed 10 subjects and enrolled at the CFBC to study Mathematics and Biology would have receive EC$2,500 for his basic academic allowance, a further EC$750.00 for the 3 additional passes above 5 subject passes, and EC$200 for the additional two subject passes above eight subject passes, for a total academic allowance of EC$3,450 for each academic year.
“This was the support that was provided by the Labour Administration which has been taken away from you, especially needed at this time when things are so hard. Now your children will be at home looking at you and you looking at them, twiddling their thumbs and not having the financial support to go to pursue their studies as this has been taken away by an uncaring coalition government led by Timothy Harris,” said Dr. Douglas.
The REACH programme also facilitated students graduating from Form 5 at High School and who enrolled at AVEC to pursue the Caribbean Vocational Qualification or CVQ programme or those transferring from AVEC to the CFBC with an EC$2,000 grant per academic year.
“With our young people in our mind always, these programmes were initiated by the former Labour Administration and we will do it again. Our students have been robbed of the opportunities that they had by this Team Unity Government of Dr. Timothy Harris who continue to shaft the young people of St. Kitts and Nevis by taking away their opportunities of a university and college education,” said Dr. Douglas.
“It is not just him and his family members who must have the opportunity to go to college or university here or overseas, but also you, the youth of this country must have the same opportunity and privilege,” said the former prime minister.
