Minister’s speech to graduates
The following is the Minister of Education Teina Bishop’s speech to graduates at the ceremony held at the National Auditorium on Friday at 3pm

This graduation ceremony provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the commitment of Cook Islanders to further their skills and education in a range of skills. For the Cook Islands to develop and grow, we must reduce our dependence on imported labour and develop the skills and knowledge of our own people. You have taken the first step towards making this a reality.
For some of you, we are celebrating the completion of your qualifications whilst for others, you are about to embark on new fields of study. If you have been awarded a certificate today, your challenge is to now transfer the skills and knowledge you have acquired into the workplace. Regardless of your field of training, you all have an important role to play in the future of this country. Don’t sit back and wait for opportunities to find you - seek them out for yourself. Be proud of what you have achieved but this is just the beginning. Like anything left idle - if you don’t use what you have learnt it will become a distant memory and your studies will have been in vain.
During the course of your studies, many of you have had to balance work and study commitments to achieve the success we are celebrating with you today. This is not always easy and has encouraged the support and encouragement of your families whom I also acknowledge and thank. I also wish to take this opportunity to congratulate your tutors for the fine job they have done in assisting graduates to reach their goals. I am proud that your government of today, with the support of the New Zealand Aid Programme, has been able to support you to acquire qualifications by providing scholarships and other assistance.
The second group that we are congratulating today are those who have been awarded scholarships for 2012 and beyond to study at University level, either in-country, in New Zealand or in the Pacific Region. Again, our development partners, in particular the NZ Aid Programme, have assisted by providing funding to make this possible. I congratulate the recent school leavers amongst you who have achieved outstanding NCEA results to secure places at these universities. Others of you have spent time working in-country prior to taking up these scholarships and I know that the experiences that you have gained in the work place will stand you in good stead for university level study. On behalf of your government and the people of the Cook Islands I wish you well with your academic studies and look forward to you returning home with your new qualifications in the future. Work hard at your studies but don’t forget your roots and the opportunities that abound for you here in the future as this country further grows and develops. You have an important role to play in the future development of this nation-enjoy your time away but never forget where you came from and where your loyalties lie.
Thank you to the staff of DNHRD-Frances and your team - who have facilitated this graduation and for the support you have given to these students.

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