PHILIPSBURG:--- Another school year is just about ending and we want to congratulate all our students who have graduated this year locally and abroad. "It is our always a great feeling to see and read about our students who have graduated from our secondary schools, colleges and universities, says Lenny Priest political leader of the OSPP. Thus we have always maintained that our Ministry of Education should publish the names of our students that graduated on a yearly basis. The OSPP also believes that the students that received a scholarship from the Government of St. Maarten their names, pictures and the area of studies should be published. After all, it is the tax payer's money that is financing these studies and the people have a right to know how their money is being spent. The students should know that we are very proud of them and that we will be supporting them from the beginning to the end. Our young people are our greatest assets and we must guide and support them; they must be prepared to take this country to the next level. We must know their areas of studies and when they will be graduating for this must tie into our policy in the granting of work and resident permits.
Our graduating students that are remaining on the island all efforts must be made to assist them in obtaining a job otherwise not only have we failed them but also the next group of students who should be graduating the following year. Quite often we hear of students who leave the island indicating that they are not returning because many of their friends returned and can't find a job. There must be a closer working relationship between the Ministry of Education, granting of scholarships; the Ministry of Labor, granting of work permits and the Ministry of Justice, the granting of resident permits. Under the OSPP watch we guarantee you a much better working relationship between these ministries that will be beneficial to our young people when seeking employment. We will offer our young people many incentives to return to St. Maarten and to take up their rightful positions in this young developing nation. Those graduating students remaining on St. Maarten we want to tell you that no stone will be left unturn to find you a job. Together, we will make St. Maarten S.H.I.N.E.
OSPP Press Release
