BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) candidate for Constituency Number Three, Konris Maynard, has announced that scholarships would be awarded to children and young adults entering high schools and college in the West Basseterre area.
Maynard made this announcement at a political meeting in West Basseterre last Thursday (Oct. 17), which signalled his launch as the SKNLP’s candidate.
The reigning National Calypso King said that children and young adults are the most important resource that the Federation has and should therefore be treated as such.
"Our most treasured resource is our young people and our children, and we should do all in our power to ensure that we nurture them to become outstanding citizens who can contribute meaningfully towards society. We should cherish them and love them and raise them up to be well-rounded citizens, students and people."
Maynard said that that is how he was raised and added that "education should be mixed with sports and arts and other facets of life".
He made mention of awards he had received while pursuing his education, noting that he was very thankful as it contributed greatly towards his success.
Maynard went on to give details of his plan to boost the education sector within his constituency.
"Tonight I take pleasure in announcing the West Basseterre Primary School All-Round Students Scholarship Award to attend high school. Every year from now, a student in Grade Six of Bronte Welsh Primary School and a student in Grade Six at the Dr. William Connor Primary School will receive an award, a scholarship award to attend high school."
He explained that the scholarship would be based on four simple criteria: academic performance, extra-curricular activities, good behaviour and financial need.
He went to say that the scholarship award would be made retroactive so that the students who have already entered high school would also benefit.
"I will work with the schools and the teachers and finalise the details of the scholarship and the two students will be awarded accordingly," he said.
The Constituency Three candidate further said that understanding the financial strain that tertiary education comes with, students entering collage would also be receiving assistance.
"I intend to work along-side businesses in West Basseterre and other willing businesses in the Federation to establish a College Assistance Fund that can assist by defraying some of the costs of higher education. Over the coming months I will work along with the interested stakeholders to make this a reality.”
He however did not indicate what would be awarded to the students who would receive the awards.
Maynard said that after some 24 years of "a particular representative", he could not find any programme to pay tribute to the children and "my guess is that his hands were tied" but his are not.
