President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday charged Government of Guyana/Cuban Scholarship Awardees for the academic year 2008-2009 to study hard and to maintain a social conscience.
President Jagdeo with the awardees of the Cuban Scholarship.
Speaking at an orientation seminar at State House, the President said that Guyana needed the input of everyone inclusive of well-trained young people to assure the future of this country. This is why, he posited, such a large investment was being made in tertiary education especially scholarships abroad. “I think at this time in our whole history, we have the largest number of students on scholarship studying abroad.”
Jagdeo commented that there was a careful selection of the areas of study, taking into consideration where there would be great demand in the future and “we hope that you will use the opportunity in Cuba to ensure that you become as good as you can be.”
The President posited that Guyana has a lot of promise and for one reason or another, it was yet to be realized, but could happen through hard work, honesty and commitment.
The head of state said that “we have an obligation to ensure that very generation has a better life than the past one and that awardees upon their return will be tasked with helping to shape that future.”
He added, “I hope you remain, regardless of the discipline that you are in that you keep a broad perspective on all issues… of national development, world politics and world economy because these help you to be better professionals in the areas in which you are going to serve in a core fashion. It is not good enough to just be a doctor and be narrowly focused only on medicine because medicine relates to a whole range of things.”
The President noted that there might be hardships but such obstacles must be faced with courage, as this was part of the steeling process. He added that the people who overcome the difficulties they have when they study make better professionals because they learn the value of hard work and sacrifice.
Students were also charged by Mr F.A Marchante, ambassador of the Republic of Cuba and Minister of Public service Dr Jennifer Westford.
Westford urged the students to make the most of the experience that could be of a great educational value with regard to a unique cultural environment.
…..was His Excellence,, the President,, addressing the 150 awardees from a prepared speech ,,if so ,, i’d like to know who wrote it ,,or was he ad lib-ing ,, or the more politically correct ,, “wingin it” ,,,, if the first of my query here is that it was written ,, “part of the steeling process” has depth !,,, beyond that ,, the “speech writer” ,,is not ready yet ,,if it has to do with the second ,, it shows the state of mind where synapses are active ,, on much more imperative issues ,, of nat’l attention,, for the benefit of the people ,, whose mandate he was given by a democratic vote !
my thoughts tho,, as i look at the number,,,, — 150 who are seeking upward mobility thru education — is some where in the equation of 1 student in every,,,say
4000,,, what does the level of educational standards,,, is seeming to suggest ???
to me,, i think for a developing country and,, indeed all countries to avoid vacuity,,
that eventually grow to become complacent and suddenly realise that they are in a jurassic era,, when compared to those in the cutting edge culture,, all emphasis must be placed on health and education — health thru education — from conception ,, to the next gpoup who will be addressed,,, matters not by who the President be ,, because it is my hope that when that president address that group ,, that he/she is one,, from this group !….. but a bit more on education,, teachers must be able to observe the behavior of their daily charge ,, and to speak to the parent/s or guardian,, with advice on how to aid in the “correction / re – programming” of the childs mind,,,,,
the teachers ,, r the ones,, many of us depend on,, to help us,, while the child is in their charge,, to mould the child ,, much as they themselves have been moulded ,, to become a teacher !,, one who is ” teaching” the child,, from “head start ” how to think and,,behave,, in the beginning phases of interfacing with society !,,,,, the teachers,, should themselves be taught this in their curriculum of “how to teach” ! it is the reason we hear so often,, “ah daon kno is wah dem larnin’,, in school dese daze,, lawd help we wid de nex genarashan ” and,, as can be deducted from some of the posts here ,, even tho, it can be taken,, to look like they were attempting to write Gy street “lingo” which i am dubious of ,, writing our creole,, is a difficult thing for many ,, when i started to write in our colloquial style which is “distinctly different” to all of the english speaking c’bean to whom we have been integrated simply because of our native language ! i was accosted to write so that ” we could understand “,, — they know who they r,, and if they kyan remembah SN gat it in rkive — now all badi “tryin fuh write like me ,, and yes ! even de wans dem wah bin admonishin meh,, dem now tek ova ,, but it arite caz ,,, me ? i’m a leader ,, and others emulate the paradigm,, an i like it like dah ! simply put ,,,, i’m an indepedent “thinker “…..
but now,, on behalf of the nation and all those who pay taxes ! yes ,,, people ,, it is ur tax dollar ,, that is making it possible to subsidise the cost of their education ,, so it is obligatoryof us ,, — YES ! i pay taxes in GY ,, more than quite a few who ,,
” livin large ” an suckin’ blood ! sophisticates call them “parasites” — to wish them well to be safe and healthy !,,,, for in the absence of any of the two,, all else pales !…….
simply put,,,,,,, health thru education !…………………
¿No entiendo pq no va todo el pais? if everyone knew about this, they all would have applied…say hola to fidel for me.
What kind of of Education can you get from a Country that have their own People Opressed.
Would this kind of Certificates, Diplomas,etc Would it be of validity in a Free Nation?
Or the holders will have to spend the rest of their lives working in Guyana?
Why not the U.S, Great Britain, India, Canada and other free Nations.
Or we will soon be like them? ¿The Possibility Exist?
what’s ur point bugs bunny.
….. reading is ok ,, if u can ,, and each person 10 and,, over in years ,, should be able to read ,,but understanding what was probably,, just read is,, a whole ‘nother colour,, which only a few of us are capable of,, when we try to analyse what was read ,, by what we have taken away from what we read ,, which then becomes our “intellectual property” !………
Students going to CUBA to study engineering? Folks are you kidding me or something?…WOW!
“This is why, he posited, such a large investment was being made in Tertiary education especially abroad”……As stated in the piece above talking about the President.
This got to be some joke huh… Look, Mr Moderator I’m sorry to say this, but in 1972 Cuba was one of the most backward countries in terms of technology and development. My observation here has nothing to do with the Cuban people, in fact, I admire the raw ingenuity of the Cuban people. However, the US embargo in ‘60 was the weapon that killed Cuba’s technological growth and national development.
I had the opportunity of visiting Cuba in 1972, as a teenage soccer player and bannas… the only other country in the Caribbean worst off than Cuba, back then, was Haiti. And yes we played a few matches in Haiti also so I’m talking from personal knowledge. In 1972 Cuba was at the technological and developmental level of the 1950/60.
I was proud to be Guyanese when I saw cars driving on the road without doors, hoods, trunks etc. This was a rubberband, glue, papertape and twine country. I mean, from what I saw, almost everything was patch-work together but somehow the stuff worked. Yea… I guess one can conclude that it’s great engineering skills to keep things working without any new modern technology for so long, but……..
Tell me Mr Moderator because I don’t recall the US lifting Cuba’s embargo, except for medical supplies. Therefore, if Guyana is paying for students to study in Cuba, then today Guyana is probably technologically worst off than Cuba. Please Mr Moderator I need a much better conclusion.
Following a pattern, most of these students after returning to Guyana, will then be seeking ‘ greener pastures ‘ in the USA, canada and other countries.
If Mr. Jagdeo is thinking that these students will become ‘ communist oriented ‘ , as he did in the Soviet dictatorship; he is not fooling anyone but himself and his communist sponsors.
To make matters worse, the authoritarian methods and arrogance of his administration, is a clear disincentive, driving these students out of Guyana upon graduation.