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The Minister presents
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Speech by education minister Clive Beltran at the Gibraltar Scholarships Presentation Ceremony at Bleak House yesterday:
I am delighted to be here, sharing this wonderful occasion with you.
I wish to say that making presentations to young and on occasions not so young students is one of the most rewarding duties I have as Minister for Education and Training.
Earlier this morning I was due to attend an assembly at Bayside School during which I was going to present students participating in the Young Enterprise
programme with their well-earned certificates. This was postponed due to the weather but it will take place in January.
After Christmas I shall also be presenting certificates to senior citizens for their achievements in getting to grips with Modern Information Technology.
I am now equally happy and proud to be here to present Gibraltar Scholars with awards that they no doubt also hugely deserve.
They say that “Familiarity Breeds Contempt” and I think this can be as relevant to ideas as it is to people.
Familiarity with the notion that our students do well in their examinations year in year out can somehow create the idea in some people’s minds that because it happens so often it is not really such a great achievement.
Well if anyone ever contemplated such a view of our students’ successes I am here to dispel it once and for all.
Your examination success and that of your predecessors and I have no doubt your successors as well, is a wonderful, well-earned achievement that we all celebrate. You and your teachers have worked hard to make this happen and your families have played their part in supporting you every step of the way.
Your academic success is good reason for you to be proud; but do not forget that with success and as possible future leaders of Gibraltar in the professions or in business and enterprise, you will also have the burden of responsibility that comes to those with the ability to help others as well as themselves.
I congratulate you all and take this opportunity to wish you even greater success and happiness throughout your Higher Education years as well as in your future careers. Also I hope that you will enjoy the well-earned and significantly increased cash awards that come with your scholarships.
22-12-10
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