Sacrifice an important ingredient in success

THE EDITOR: I am grateful to Mr Colm Imbert for his response to my article dealing with Gate which appeared earlier in the week. I agree entirely with Mr Imbert that the printed article was really difficult to follow. It may be that the Editor’s pen went away but I shall try here to correct any misunderstanding Mr Imbert and other readers who have spoken to me may have. The main thrust of my letter was to show that prior to “Dollar for Dollar” and “Gate” of course there were several avenues which were (and are still) open to those persons who arequalified and are interested in higher education.

1) Family Finance 2)National Scholarship 3) Corporate Scholarship 4) Foreign scholarship (There are Mexican scholarships in today’s papers 5) Students Revolving Loan Fund (Accessed by thousands). 6) Those persons who would get a job and work and save for a few years before studying, here again thousands have done same. I tried to show by the above that higher education is nothing that one achieves for nothing. One must work hard and sacrifice especially if one has limited means. In my own case for example, I sold my home and left my children in TT while my wife and I journeyed to England where I worked and paid for my studies.

In regard to the question of sacrifice, I quoted from a circular to parents from one of the most prestigious schools in East Trinidad. The circular was blunt: “Parents must sacrifice for their children’s education.” I also quoted from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time which spoke of the great sacrifices made by former slaves who “scrubbed floors, worked in kitchens, passed throughout back doors, saying “Yes Sah,” “Yes Maam” According to Baldwin “They did not like doing it” but the white man was in no hurry to educate Negroes. Thus the Blacks had to do it for themselves. But “Gate” takes away from people the incentive to sacrifice. Worst by giving 100 percent tuition fees to persons who are good enough to earn scholarships, actually cheapens the award of the National Scholarships where students who have sacrificed and studied hard to get a scholarship will no longer be able to celebrate that achievement or make their teachers, parents and schoolmates proud.

There will be nothing to celebrate because all Tom, Dick and Harrylal whether they have sacrificed or not will all be getting scholarships. They may not even be willing to apply for a Students Revolving Loan since paying back would require sacrifice. Result depends on the freeness of Gate. Mr Imbert must be able to understand that.

ATTA K O KUJIFI
Champ Fleurs