The indomitable Michael Finnegan helps kids with graduation bill
Graduation exercises were held last week at the Salvation Army Primary School. It was a happy occasion for some, but for others, well they didn’t get their certificates because of outstanding fees to the school. This afternoon, however, all that changed because the Mesopotamia Area Rep, Michael Finnegan, came to the rescue. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Of the thirty students in the graduating class of 2012 at Salvation Army Primary School eighteen journeyed down the aisle in vain as they were not able to receive their certificates. That’s because sixty percent of them had outstanding balances that needed to have been defrayed prior to the commencement exercise last Thursday. Upon hearing of their plight area representative Michael Finnegan decided to render financial aid to ease their burdens moving on to secondary education.
Michael Finnegan
Michael Finnegan, Area Representative, Mesopotamia
“I was told by some parents that eighteen of the graduates were outstanding in different areas of fees to the school and that they did not receive their graduation certificate or diploma. And when it was told to me I got in touch with Mrs. Chan, who is the principal of the school, and asked her that if she could probably send each individual payment to my office and I will see if I can have the matter settled so that the children may be able to receive their certificate. And this was done, I think it was on Wednesday it was told to me or Tuesday and today is Thursday and we were able to successfully attend to the problem.”
Delcia Chan
Delcia Chan, Principal, Salvation Army
“It’s been some years now that we have been having problems with parents who are not able to pay their fees so for this graduation and the last one what we did is that we would not give the children their certificates. We would hold it and have the parents come in and make some kind of arrangements to pay their fees but the times are hard so the parents were complaining that they couldn’t afford to pay the fees. So the minister called me a couple days ago offering to pay all the fees of the graduates. So the parents and students were very happy to have received their certificates due to Minister Finnegan.”
Isani Cayetano
“Politics aside, what’s the sense of satisfaction that you get being able to assist these kids with their education?”
Michael Finnegan
“The sense of satisfaction is because I was deprived of a formal education when I was a young boy and my philosophy in the division which I represent is to make sure that every boy and every girl who want to attend high school must have the privilege to attend high school and I, as the area representative, it will be my responsibility to make sure that they are assisted by me the area representative through the Ministry of Education.”
While neither the area representative nor the school’s principal was able to say how much the total debt amounted to News Five understands that each student had an average of approximately two hundred dollars in arrears. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
I’m not always his fan, but in this case, three cheers for Finnegan. Children deserve education, and to receive the certificate of the accomplishment of their hard efforts.
Shame on our leaders Education should be free.A kid can’t even graduate from primary school as a result of financial hardship then were going to have more criminals in the Jewel.No nation can develop if it’s people are uneducated.
I could be just as generous with taxpayers money. how much of these kids are going to high school.
Finnegan is a joke, always was. It is easy spending other people’s monies, in this case, taxpayers monies.
Would Finnegan sell his personal belongings to rescue these kids? Would Finnegan forego his government paycheck to rescue kids through hard times? You know the answer. The man’s a joke.
Flashback to the 80s. Uncle Benji was a mere kid riding in his Uncle George’s favorite car. Finnegan and his boss (Estephan) were cruising, when Estephan accidentally hit Uncle George’s car. Poor Uncle Benji……. he was critically hurt. Finnegan jumps out of Estephan’s vehicle and smooth talk Uncle George into not calling the police. Finnegan promised to pay Uncle Benji’s doctor bill………………. I am still waiting. A joke, the man’s a joke.
Where are the incentives for these kids to stay away from crimes when some of them are deprived of the opportunity to receive their certificates.
Elgin, I agree with you. I think most governments tax too much and spend too much trying to do unnecessary things [and reward their friends, which should be a prison offence]. GOB is certainly no exception.
But one thing I support is FREE EDUCATION, I think through sixth form, if I were King. All children, rich or poor, should enter life with equal hope, and hope requires education. What you do with your opportunity, in the end, is your choice. But without education, you cannot make a choice.
Another key to happiness and a decent life is the availability of good jobs at fair wages, which I think can only come from private investment — a partnership of capital investors, innovators, and labour. Government cannot provide that, it can only get out of the way [in terms of laws and policies] and let the laws of economics work.
Well done minister. This just shows how much you appreciate your constituents. Think I will move to your area.LOL