BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
MALAITA province continues to dominate the Solomon Islands Government scholarship scheme at around 50 percent of recipients each year, it is reported.
Minister for Education John Dean Kuku voiced this during a dinner hosted for the Malaita provincial government in Auki earlier this week.
Kuku congratulates Malaita province and its government for this feat, which is set for other provinces to try and match.
He says this achievement is the fruit of hard work by the Malaita provincial education authority, schools in Malaita and students from Malaita across the nation.
“You might not see or feel the success you have in the education sector of the country.
“Let me inform you, more than 50 percent of scholarships MEHRD award each year goes to students from Malaita province.
“And award was done on merit and excellence of students with good academic record,” he said.
Kuku points out that it’s something Malaita provincial government and its people should proud off.
He encourages the largest province in Solomon Islands to maintain this remarkable record, saying that other provinces are also pushing forward.
“This is the reason my ministry is here in Auki to seek more opportunities to invest in education in the province.
“And for this particular programme in which we are here in Malaita province, it will also roll in all provinces.
“Because we all know a lot of our students cannot make it further in their formal education.
“So alternative learning opportunities should be given to them. This is what this programme looks at to improve one RTC school per province for starting so that students can get job training,” he said.
Kuku said currently the national education ministry (MEHRD) is sponsoring some students in certain programmes who are studying at APSD RTC.
He said this is the beginning of the programme MEHRD has to improve RTC schools into technical institute in the country.
