Students and parents at the farewell ceremony for the 137 students receiving scholarships to study in Cuba from the government of President Fidel Castro, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, yesterday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

A record number of Jamaican students are receiving scholarships to Cuba this school year.

Beginning in 1979 when three students, including current junior government ministers Donald Rhodd and Wykeham McNeill went to study in Cuba, this year's all-expenses paid scholarships include 70 medical students, expanded from five last year; 40 in nursing; 11 in sports and physical education; nine in engineering; and seven in other areas. For their first year students will study Spanish.

Brain drain

Speaking at the farewell ceremony for the students at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Anthony Hylton, thanked the Cuban government, favourably contrasting the scholarships to the 'brain drain' of qualified Jamaicans absorbed by developed countries.

"They choose to raid not the young talent but the experienced talents from the developing world, Cuba is going the opposite," said Mr. Hylton, who was standing in for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who had 'urgent' business making arrangements for this weekend's PNP Conference.

Cuban Ambassador Gisela Garcia Rivera told her audience that the scholarships offered to students from developing countries - with 26,000 currently studying - were an important part of Cuban foreign policy.