Dear Sir,
As there's a lot of articles that was written in your online 'e-paper some of which are already out of point and de-railed I would like to add a piece or two to straighten the discussion forward and make sense to this issue of allowances.
Yes, dollar-for-dollar maybe our Solomons currency gained 20% viz-a-viz the Fijian currency but it doesn't meant that goods in Fiji also decreased! In fact, I'm sure their goods are now even more expensive compared previously as what normally a country experienced when its currency devalued. Most of our students in Fiji if not all, are there alone without any relatives but except their fellow countrymen/women who like themselves will be struggling to survive to have a better grades / markings so that their scholarship will not be terminated and come home in the middle of a school year.
I heard that even their meager allowances are normally late and if they received it some of them used it to pay for their debts back home or to their friends and some shark-lenders at high interest rates!
In as much as that the SIG can't offer a better college (university) facilities at home, then the SIG must be prepared to send students overseas with adequate allowances in order for them to concentrate on their studies and come to class not with a hungry stomach but an alert mind that can concentrate well in the class.
When I co-founded SoCred Party in 2003 this is what I had in mind - to fully assist our students not only the overseas one but also those enrolled locally to mould them as our future leaders but sadly to note, our Party's MPs that at one time even reached a total of 23 MPs in the parliament has no political will to assist our people but only think of themselves, with our Party's President even became the PM of SIG for almost 18-months.
I believe that it's now the right time for the youths to raise and be accounted for in fighting for their rights and be leaders today and not tomorrow and change our country forward for the betterment of all Solomon Islanders! Can I count for your leaderships, students?
Students Allowances
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this letter are those of Sri Ramon Jun QUITALES, 11 and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Solomon Times Online.
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