Remarks at St. Joseph's Convent Secondary School
During a State Visit to Saint Lucia
Chen Shui-bian
President
Republic of China (Taiwan)
January 17, 2008
Honorable Prime Minister King, Sister Rufina Donat, Distinguished Guests, Dear Teachers and Students:
Good morning to you all!
Visiting St. Joseph's Convent Secondary School feels like visiting my daughter's school, because my daughter graduated from Taipei First Girls' High School, the top girls' high school in Taiwan. That's why some people say Taipei First Girls' High School is Taiwan's St. Joseph's. It is truly a great pleasure to have this opportunity to visit St. Joseph's. I have long admired your school, as it is one of the most prestigious and oldest educational institutions in the Caribbean. Founded in 1898, St. Joseph's has spanned a century—110 years to be exact. I can see for myself the energy and enthusiasm in the faces of the students, as well as the liveliness and happiness that permeates the school grounds. St. Joseph's reputation is not unfounded, and the hope and determination shown by its students is a refreshing sight to visitors like me.
As they say, the best foundation for a nation's development is education. St. Joseph's is a testament to this adage. Over the years, it has nurtured countless talented young women. Its outstanding graduates have served as the Governor General, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Assembly, members of the Senate and the House, senior government officials, principals, teachers, and business leaders. All of us respect the school for its spectacular record.
Both Taiwan and St. Lucia attach great importance to promoting education, cultivating talent, and protecting women's rights. The percentage of women holding key positions in St. Lucia surpasses that in most countries. In this respect, Taiwan still has much to learn from St. Lucia.
Education remains one of the top priorities of most governments. Following the resumption of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and St. Lucia on April 30 last year, we have been honored by being invited to participate in the refurbishment of the science labs at St. Joseph's. I am confident that this project will greatly enhance the level of science education at the school, and further consolidate the school's leading position in the Caribbean.
St. Lucia is a nation blessed with extraordinarily talented people. This fact is recognized not just in the region, but also throughout the world. The reason St. Lucians receives such international accolades is that the government attaches great significance to education, and that the government and schools remain fully committed to providing quality education at high academic standards. As for these talented people, Sir Arthur Lewis won the Nobel Prize for economics in 1979, and Sir Derek Walcott received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992. Sir Walcott honored us by accepting our invitation to visit Taiwan in 2004.
Prime Minister King mentioned in his speech that he hopes St. Lucia's third Nobel laureate will be a graduate of St. Joseph's. But he missed a point, so here I will say it: Some day, St. Lucia will have a Madam Prime Minister who is a graduate of St. Joseph's. I am confident this will happen some day.
All over the world, we can meet brilliant St. Lucians who have distinguished themselves and contributed greatly to such fields as medicine, law, accounting, history and chemistry. The world-class, shining accomplishments achieved by people educated in St. Lucia, a developing nation, can be attributed to the country's education policies and the wisdom and foresight of its national leaders. St. Lucia has set a resounding model for all nations to emulate. I would like to take this opportunity to pay my highest respects to the people and government of St. Lucia.
The late Prime Minister Sir John Compton was a great statesman and an old friend of Taiwan. In 1995, he said, "…the expenditure on the education of our children will not be cut as this is our investment in our future." He reiterated this commitment in his Budget Address on April 19 last year, and stressed on many occasions that investment in human resources is the key to escaping poverty.
Taiwan's own development experiences are a testament to the fact that the late prime minister showed foresight and vision as he led the country down the right path. Taiwan is also a country lacking abundant natural resources. It was through the persistent investment in human resources and the cultivation of talent that Taiwan emerged from the poverty of the 1950s to transform itself into one of the major trading nations of the world.
Recently, four students from St. Lucia won full scholarships to study in Taiwan. A few years from now, they will have earned their degrees and return to St. Lucia to serve their people. I look forward to seeing more young people from St. Lucia, especially students from this school, take up the priceless opportunity to pursue an education in Taiwan. Many students from other allies and friendly nations have done so as well. While studying in Taiwan, you can serve as cultural ambassadors for St. Lucia and introduce your nation to your friends there.
Ambassador Chou told me that some buildings in the school were damaged during an earthquake. As a sign of our respect for education and concern for your school, we would like to contribute US$100,000 to St. Joseph's for improving its facilities. It is our hope that the school will educate more bright youths who will become the driving force for progress in St. Lucia.
In closing, on behalf of the government and 23 million people of Taiwan, I would like make this solemn pledge to you: We will fully cooperate with Prime Minister King's government to make St. Joseph's not only the best secondary school in St. Lucia, but also the best in the Caribbean. And our vision does not even stop there: We will work together to make St. Joseph's the best secondary school in the world! I would like to wish St. Joseph's the best, its students excellence, and everyone else health and happiness. Thank you.