Help Tamara

JUNE Thomas has appealed to Education Minister Anthony Garcia to help her adopted daughter Tamara Joseph realise her dream of becoming a doctor.

Joseph, 24, was awarded an additional scholarship by the Public Administration Ministry in 2013 to study medicine and was accepted at UWI’s Mona campus, but suffered an eye injury in her first year.

Joseph repeated that year’s studies after the ministry gave her permission. In 2015, that responsibility was passed over to the Education Ministry.

Thomas said she met with Garcia last year to tell him about the issue, and he promised to take a note to Cabinet to extend Joseph’s scholarship for a year to complete her studies. Thomas said Joseph’s situation was verified to Garcia by Dr Gaynell Holdip, former director of the scholarships committee under the Public Administration Ministry.

But Thomas said Joseph received no assistance and was told she would be de-registered if she did not pay her tuition fees.

A document dated October 25, 2018 from the Education Ministry’s permanent secretary to the comptroller of accounts asked for a special remittances in the amount of US$29,478.71 to be paid to the TT High Commission. That represented tuition and compulsory fees for Joseph for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Thomas said Joseph was de-registered on December 5, 2018. An e-mail to Joseph dated February 12 from the UWI campus registrar’s office in Mona said she had an outstanding balance as of February 5 and because of this, all courses Joseph had selected for semester two of 2018-2019 had been removed from her record.

Thomas also said Joseph is afraid of being expelled from her dormitory at Mona.

Thomas said she has witten to Garcia asking whether Joseph’s tuition fees could be paid through the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE), and also wrote to the Prime Minister for help.

If Joseph’s fees are paid, she said, she will be able to complete her studies. Her final exams are in April. Thomas said she is prepared to raise any additional funds that Joseph needs on her own, but is appealing to the public for help. People can make donations to account 3605386 at any branch of Scotiabank. Thomas can be contacted at 330-1315.