ROSEAU (CMC): Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Wednesday expressed his country’s “profound gratitude to the People’s Republic of China” after Bejing agreed to fund the construction of six schools totaling US$30 million.
Speaking at the “symbolic” ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the schools, Skerrit said China is once again demonstrating in “a most tangible way the depth and sincerity of its friendship with Dominica.
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“There is no denying that Dominica has benefited from repeated expressions of true friendship from the People’s Republic of China. In sports, in road infrastructure, agriculture and health we have witnessed, over the past 19 years, incredible generosity from the Chinese people and Government,” Skerrit said, noting also the Chinese funding for the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.
“I want to stress that this is a gift of significant proportion. The schools are valued at US$30 million or EC$81 million, a substantial investment in any currency; and certainly a major injection of funds into the development of Dominica’s education infrastructure.”
He said when the Goodwill Secondary School is completed, the government will take this focus on skills training to the next level.
”Dominican citizens will have access to a fully equipped Center of Excellence for TVET. Here, our young people will be able to select a trade, build on their competencies and prepare for high-paying, competitive jobs in Dominica and the region.
Skerrit, who is also chairman of the 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM, said that the education thrust is in line with his stated objectives to pursue education reform at the regional level.
“Our young people face a challenging future defined by rapidly evolving technology, which will require more and broader skills in the workplace. We must consider new and better ways to help our students, across the region, learn advanced skills; and redesign our school curriculum to ensure they are able to succeed in school, in the global workspace, and in their personal lives.
“I am focused on pushing this agenda with my CARICOM counterparts because I want to help create a future where every Dominican and Caribbean citizen has a fair shot at a successful life,” he added.
In his address, China’s ambassador to Dominica, Lin Xianjiang, said Beijing fully understands the importance of the schools project to Dominica to the point that a senior foreign government official, who visited here recently, had also pledged to ensure the project was a success.
He said also that a senior member of the construction firm “had come all the way from Beijing to attend the ground breaking ceremony.
‘What I can assure you is that the six schools will be the most advanced and modern in Dominica and even the Caribbean region,” he said, adding due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic the progress of the project had been delayed.
