Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will visit the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) this year.
He is expected to hold discussions there with President Chen Shui-Bian and Prime Minister Yu Shyijkun.
Dr. Gonsalves’ plan to visit the ROC was revealed to the media last Thursday during the handing over of US$1,264,786.84 by the ROC’s Ambassador Elizabeth Chu. {{more}}The money will be used to finance 14 of 16 Learning Resource Centres to be built throughout the island, some of which have already started being built.
The PM plans to leave St. Vincent with a small delegation on October 14. While in the ROC, Dr. Gonsalves will hold discussions on the continuing relationship between the two countries. He, however, will return in time for independence celebrations on October 27.
During the press conference, Dr. Gonsalves also spoke of plans to build six schools, three primary and three secondary commencing from June 2005.
Secondary schools, according to Dr. Gonsalves, will be built in Barrouallie and in West St. George, for the first time, in the Fountain-Belair area. Union Island will also get a modern secondary school that will have dormitory accommodations for 20 students from neighboring Canouan and Mayreau. Six family type apartments will also be built for teachers. The primary schools will be built in Bequia, Edinboro and Fair Hall.
Dr. Gonsalves said that there are falling numbers in some schools and pressure in others, particularly the urban schools as more persons are coming to live in the city and its environs. An education administrative centre will also be built in Frenches
Funding for the six schools will come through grants from the European Union and soft loans from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank.
“It’s a great time ahead for education,” Dr. Gonsalves declared.