Vincentian students have saved close to EC$1 million under the school thrift programme.
Minister of National Mobilization, Frederick Stephenson has called the amount of money saved by students a significant achievement.
Stephenson made these statements at the National Schools’ Co-operative Award Ceremony 2014 at the Peace Memorial Hall last week.
He expressed gratitude to all who attended the award ceremony and to participating stakeholders in the schools co-operative programme.
He paid tribute to students and teacher guides for developing the habit of thrift.
Students have made outstanding savings of over eight hundred dollars. The minister said that the schools’ cooperative system is in its 36th year and remains one of the flagship developments in the Ministry of National Mobilisation.
Also, Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Cecil Jackson, extended gratitude to teacher guides, parents, guardians, and credit unions that have supported the co-operative programme over the years. Jackson said that the co-operative programme continues to be a platform for entrepreneurship.
Representative and Marketing Manager of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Co-operative Credit Union (SVGTCCU), Ezekiel Richards, stated that he is proud of the efforts of the co-operative societies in encouraging students to save.
Richards said the students have been outstanding in their savings, and urged co-operative leaders to challenge children to bank on love and to cultivate love in whatever they do even as leaders encouraged financial thrift.
He congratulated the Co-operative Department for their achievements and saluted their efforts in organizing the day’s events.
The most outstanding savers in the primary division in 2013-2014 are Aykeli Williams and Chloe Robertson of the Mustique Primary School. Top National saver and top secondary school saver for 2013-2014 is Ezana Henderson of the St. Vincent Girls High School. The second place for secondary school saver is Marvin Pierre of the Thomas Saunders Secondary School.
The National Schools Co-operative award ceremony 2014 was spearheaded by the Ministry of National Mobilisation’s Co-operative Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Co-operative League, and affiliates, and Ministry of Agriculture.
K. Woodley/API