TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: April 6, 2016: The Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education, presented instruments of appointment to members of the Scholarship Selection Committee on 5th April, 2016 at the Old Fire Station Building, National Library, Port of Spain.
In his address to the newly established committee, Minister Garcia highlighted the importance of their contribution to the development of the nation. He said, “The selection of individuals for scholarships must always be in the interest of the nation and in facilitating the realisation of the national goals and self-actualization of the individual who is awarded a national scholarship. The scholarship must be seen in the overall strategic plan as an investment in our human capital.”
Minister Garcia challenged the committee to find the right formula to match the needs and aspirations of scholars with the developmental needs of the country, “Especially today, when we are challenged by the fact that our economy is not as strong as it was before.”
He invited them to closely follow the contribution of the Minister of Finance in Parliament on Friday 8th April, 2016, and added, “Whatever he says will impact our decisions, in terms of scholarship selection.”
The Scholarship Selection Committee comprises ten members from four Ministries, the Tobago House of Assembly, and those representing the public interest. The following is a list of the members appointed and their designations:
- Ms. Jacqueline Wilson, Chairperson
- Ms. Angela Sinaswee-Gervais, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education
- Ms. Joanne Deoraj, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Development
- Ms. Marcia Mc Kellar, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development
- Ms. Roxanna Hall, Director of Advanced Training and Advisory Services, Tobago House of Assembly
- Ms. LaVonne Blondell, Public Management Analyst, Ministry of Public Administration
- Ms. Bernedatte, Koroma Office of the Prime Minister
- Prof. June M. George, Public Interest
- Mr. Fasil Muddeen, Public Interest
- Mrs. Renata M. Tulsie, Public Interest
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago spends approximately more than $30 million annually on the non-Advanced level. These scholarships are administered by the Scholarship and Advanced Training Division of the Ministry of Education.
