Mexican Ambassador Fernando Sandoval yesterday said he was “surprised” at the misunderstanding over scholarships awarded to students for studies in his country, while saying that the information about the programme was released four months ago.
“I have information that some of them are not going to go, but I want to be very clear is that when we sent information last year it is was very clear the kind of scholarships that Mexico was offering,” Sandoval said yesterday at a press conference held at his Brickdam office. The Ambassador said he was “very sorry” that some of the scholarship awardees are now refusing to go, while emphasising that Mexico is offering a very good opportunity. “I will say, that I am very sorry that this happened because the embassy of Mexico and the government of Mexico is doing its best effort to give opportunities to the young Guyanese.
This is what Mexico can do, we would like to give other things, we would like to give masters… but as you know the economic situation is not good not only in Guyana but in other countries like Mexico,” he said.
“We are doing what we can do and we are offering this opportunity and we think this is a very good opportunity, but of course the youngsters in Guyana can make their decisions of going or not going. But what I want to say here today is that we are doing it with the best good consideration in good faith and the information we give in December of last year was the same information that I am giving to you now,” he added.
About 18 students, who recently completed secondary school, were granted scholarships to study in Mexico for technical certificates. On Wednesday, however, most of them refused to take up the offer as they were initially under the impression that they were going to be awarded a bachelors degree at the end and not certificates.
After a lengthy meeting with Minister of Public Service Dr Jennifer Westford, Stabroek News was told that only three decided to take up the offer while the others were offered scholarships to the University of Guyana instead.
Minister Westford, Stabroek News was told, was attempting to convince some of the students to travel to Mexico since it is impossible to find additional students to fill the shortfall, in time to travel to Mexico on Monday. The students had to take an entrance examination, which included Spanish, before they were selected. However, Stabroek News was unable to contact Minister Westford and her secretary informed that she was not in office and that she would not be in for the entire day.
The students had said that the advertisement they responded to offered degree studies in three disciplines. Most of them felt it would be a waste of time to travel to Mexico and study for three years, at the end of which they would be awarded a certificate that is equivalent to the one from the Government Technical Institute (GTI). To compound matters, they would have also been required to serve the government for five years upon their return to the country.
‘Very clear’
Ambassador Sandoval yesterday said when the Embassy sent the information to the government, it spoke about scholarships for professional technicians and stated the areas in which they were offered. “So it was very clear that what we were offering were for professional technicians,” he said.
Sandoval pointed out that the information about the scholarships was handed over since December. “…We are speaking about four months ago, so I am a little surprise that now they have this confusion or this misunderstanding when we give this information since December,” he said. He also noted that the students participated in an examination which was overseen by a professor from Mexico. “I am a little surprised that this misunderstanding comes today when they have all the information four months ago and it was very clear since the starting that this was professional technicians,” he said.
Sandoval he did not see the advertisements in the local newspapers that the students responded to. He noted that the Embassy did not place the advertisements but all the information was handed over to the Government of Guyana, which was responsible for placement of the ads. “I don’t know where that information came from,” he said, adding “When we spoke about this we were very clear about the kind of opportunities being offered.”
The students told Stabroek News that they were always under the impression that they were being given the opportunity to study for degrees. It was only when one of them was about to sign the contract that they noticed that the programme was for a certificate and not a degree.
Upon hearing about the issue, all the students refused to sign their contracts on Tuesday and were then summoned to a meeting with the Minister on Wednesday. “The idea of this professional technician [certificate] is after they finish their studies they can go directly to work and I think it is a very good opportunity but this is a decision of the young Guyanese to take or not take this opportunity, we are giving them this,” Sandoval said. He added that the Embassy has been speaking with the Ministry of Public Service but it is not aware how many of the students are now going to take the opportunity.
Sandoval also said his country wanted to be closer with the CARICOM countries and as such offered the scholarships. Prior to addressing the issue, the Ambassador had pointed out that it was 30% of the 50 scholarships offered to CARICOM countries were given to Guyanese students.
He said the scholarships were being offered in commemoration of the 200 years of Independence and 100 years of the Mexican Revolution.
The students were expected to take up their studies at the National School of Professional Technical Education and to study Spanish for four months before taking up the classes in the various disciplines. Half of the students were being offered studies in environmental conservation while the remainder would have studied in the area of food and beverages, hospitality in tourism and industrial electricity. Sandoval said that the National School of Professional Technical Education is a tertiary institution and part of the country’s National System of Technical Education.
