By 2010, Trinidad and Tobago should have free pre-school education, says Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
By Julien NeavesHe made the announcement on Saturday night at the PNM's Republic Day September Affair at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Port of Spain.
Manning said the party was "committed to providing free pre-school education", following the provision of free secondary and tertiary education to citizens.
Government currently subsidires early childhood centres across the country. However, the majority of pre-schools are privately owned.
Education Minister Hazel Manning, in keeping with Government's 2020 Vision for early childhood care and education, is moving to bring all pre-school centres under one umbrella. Under this plan, students all over the country will be taught under one curriculum.
Also in attendance at the dinner were Port of Spain Mayor Murchison Brown, Attorney General John Jeremie, PNM vice chairman John Donaldson, Trade Minister Ken Valley, National Carnival Commission chairman Kenny De Silva and other party officials and dignitaries.
During his speech, Manning also defended the current development of the country, which detractors have criticised for overheating the economy. He noted that because the opportunity for rapid growth was there, it was Government's responsibility to see what measures it could take to facilitate that growth and minimise negative effects.
"Rather than saying 'slow down' we are saying, 'how can we get it done,'" he said.
Manning noted that one and a half years ago, the PNM was criticised for having done "nothing" and now they were being told that they are "moving too fast".
He added that Trinidad and Tobago was not the first country to have such ambitious development plans or to be developing as rapidly as it is, and there were many examples in the world of countries that have developed in this manner.
Senator Christine Kangaloo, in her toast to the political leader, took the opportunity to bash the Opposition United National Congress and Winston Dookeran's new party Congress of the People.
Kangaloo said that Manning's convictions were "a beacon of hope to all of us during those dark days of political misrule by marauding juggernauts".
She added that his strength of resolve held the party and nation together "even as those anxious to return our nation to an old thuggery under the guise of a new politics scratch and claw at us at every turn".
Manning also took a jab at the recent "mutation" of the Opposition and Dookeran's platform of "new politics".
"When I look at the faces I eh see one new one," he quipped.
He said that the state of the Opposition political parties placed greater responsibility on the shoulders on the PNM to "get things right".
