MONTEGO BAY, St James — OPPOSITION Spokesperson on Education Marissa Dalrymple Philibert has challenged the private sector to provide more scholarships for needy students at the tertiary level.

"In this Jubilee year of Independence as a nation, I also want to use this opportunity to call upon corporate Jamaica to become more involved in nation building through education. Every young person you can assist to achieve his or her education goal, is one more block in the building of our nation," Dalrymple-Philibert appealed. "Just as a company reinvests profits in its further development, you should invest in the building by assisting our deserving young people through the provision of scholarships. You can never tell whether one of these young people you assist might one day lead your own business to greater success".

She was speaking last week at the 2012 East Central St James Educational Council Scholarship Award ceremony for tertiary students in the constituency, which was held at the Sunset Resorts and Spa in Montego Bay.

The event formed part of the $10-million programme of East Central St James MP Edmund Bartlett's education projects planned for the constituency this year.

Meanwhile, Dalrymple-Philibert urged the scholarship recipients to make good use of the grants they have received.

"When you enter the tertiary studies provided by these scholarships, you should be taking advantage of a privilege to which some 90 per cent of your fellow Jamaicans do not have access."

At the same time, she appealed to students who were not beneficiaries of scholarships, but who accessed loans from the Students Loan Bureau (SLB), to fulfil their obligations.

"I must say a word to those students who have not been awarded scholarships, but who benefit from student loans that without assistance provided by these loans many of you would not be able to secure the education you need and deserve," she argued.

"Remember that coming behind you are many other deserving young people who will be unable to secure their education if you do not repay your loans. When you have secured the benefit provided by these loans, be honourable, responsible citizens: repay the loans so that others may benefit from the privilege you have enjoyed."