The Tribune

THE Ministry of Education has been advised to invest most of its scholarship money in students attending the College/University of the Bahamas, Minister Jerome Fitzgerald revealed.

Making the recommendation, he said, the ministry’s Scholarships Division added that exceptions should be made for students leaving the country to study subjects not offered at COB.

“The reasons that recommendation has been made is that we find that a lot of students who go directly off to university after the first year, we have to withdraw their scholarship because they don’t maintain the GPA and in effect they are not mentally, socially even academically prepared for the rigours of college/university abroad,” he said.

“Many of them have to return home and in effect the way we look at it as a misuse of our monies.

“Those students who do attend COB for two years, we have very few who return after the first year. They are very well prepared, mature and so we are finding we will be helping our students to go to COB for the first two years, ensure that they are at academic standards and are ready to go abroad on their own.”

The comments came during the minister’s address to the final session of a series of workshops for guidance counsellors and school leaders on college and career readiness sponsored by the United States Embassy and the Lyford Cay Foundation, in conjunction with COB.

In attendance were senior education officials and John Dinkelman, Charge’d’ Affaires at the US Embassy.

During the speech, Mr Fitzgerald also announced plans for a two-pronged approach to college readiness: one preparing students for the College/University of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute (BTVI); the other for those who are going abroad.

With the increasing need for awareness about scholarships and other forms of financial aid, he called on school leaders to ensure that guidance counsellors are keep abreast of changes in college admissions.

“It requires that we have continuous discussions on college readiness so that we are unified in our efforts. It also requires that we constantly inform parents and students of those requirements,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

“I find that a lot of students are not aware of the process and what is involved in being admitted to College of the Bahamas (COB) and the scholarship opportunities that are available for them once they meet certain grade point averages.”

Mr Fitzgerald charged school leaders to promote an environment of higher learning and place particular emphasis on students who dream of college but lack the necessary financial resources.

He said the Ministry of Education is working hard to ensure that students experience a seamless progression from elementary school to high school, an then on into either the workforce or college.

“We are now working together with a lot of committed individuals to ensure that we give our students the best possible opportunity of having a successful career in whatever area or professional endeavour they choose,” he said.