THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM a Jamaican student living in the United Kingdom and I am very disgusted with my government and the emphasis they place on education.
It has come to my understanding that there are no scholarships or grants for Jamaican students who have come to the UK for higher learning especially in the engineering field. I have applied and have accepted places at two of the very best universities in London, to pursue a degree in either Geomatic or Aeronautical Engineering in 2004, and am now facing the challenge of acquiring funding for my degree. Most countries have some sort of funding for their students even those that are extremely poor, far more than we claim to be.
The fact that no funding is offered means that Jamaican students have no way of achieving their highest and if they did by their own means and without the 'backing' of their country there is little chance of qualified professionals wanting to return home and offering their skills to the Jamaican society.
Countries in the Far East e.g. Malaysia, Singapore; countries in Africa and even those in the Americas have schemes and funding for their academics whose interests cannot be satisfied in their own countries. They have been given the opportunity to go abroad and study with aid from their governments. What about the Jamaican people?
Education is the key to developing a society and a nation, so by implementing a small percentage of the country's capital into its students, those at home and abroad, will not be a waste but will be an investment for the future.
I am, etc.,
KADINE BROWN
cuddlybear60@yahoo.co.uk
Stockwell, London
Via Go-Jamaica
