Gadsby-Dolly: No politics in awarding scholarships

The process of awarding scholarships is the same as it has always been and has nothing to do with political and familial ties says Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

This in response to accusations by the United National Congress (UNC) that national scholarships were awarded on the basis of those ties rather than on merit.

At a press conference on Sunday, Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes questioned the transparency of and accountability in the distribution of scholarships and bursaries to students who successfully sat the CAPE examination during the covid19 pandemic as some of the recipients were identified as having “particular affiliations.”

Also, on Monday, a press release by the UNC Nation Youth Arm expressed concern saying deserving students were disadvantaged because the government did not invest in the education sector.

"The decrease in scholarships from 400 to a mere 100 has severely impacted many students and families. We are now seeing a reintroduction of the 'Secret Scholarship' which in our opinion will be given to the F's of this Government (Friends, Family, Financiers and failures like a current senator who is yet to reimburse the country on her secret scholarship that did not materialise into anything like her party) and not to those students who deserve it."

In a text reply to Newsday, Gadsby-Dolly said the only difference in this year's awarding process was that the top ten students in each of the ten cognate groups received them, and any claim to the contrary was baseless.

"In any given year, even with 400 scholarships awarded, there would be disappointed students. The government is now offering assistance to 600 students who wrote CAPE in 2020, as opposed to the 400 which would have been assisted in 2019. Students who were not awarded a scholarship can and should apply for a national bursary."

She added that anyone could check the ministry's website for details on how to access the application form, the national bursary policy, guidelines and procedures, and frequently asked questions.