THE government has committed to ensuring all students leave school sufficiently qualified in either academics or applied sciences to choose freely among job opportunities, pursue tertiary education and eventually have a career.

As part of this effort, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology intends to forge academic partnerships with tertiary institutions that offer special services that hearing impaired students require, the ministry's superintendent for the Northwestern District Howard Newbold said.

"We plan to take bold steps to make certain that hearing impaired students have wider career path choices after graduating from high school, including being able to matriculate directly into tertiary institutions, locally and abroad," he said.

Mr Newbold addressed the graduation and prize giving ceremony at the Centre for the Deaf on behalf of Education, Science and Technology Minister Jerome Fitzgerald on June 14.

Efforts will be made to ensure that special schools are included in national programmes being developed in education, Mr Newbold said.

"There is no reason why students from the Centre for the Deaf cannot participate in national programmes such as the Technical Cadet Corps Programme, the Future Teachers of the Bahamas Programme, or the National Arts and Craft Programme for young, gifted Bahamian artists.

"My Ministry fully embraces the decisive role it plays in guiding our special students toward personal empowerment as well.

"We all agree that education is the key to both personal and national empowerment and so we must work collaboratively to improve access to education, not only in academic subjects but in the applied sciences as well," Mr Newbold said.

He extended congratulations to parents and guardians for the effort invested in the graduates and commended principal Tessa Nottage, the administrators and teachers, and the neighbouring schools for the partnerships that they have established to provide physical education instruction and vocational education for the students.

"Equally as important to ensuring that your students develop that "culture of excellence" you envision, are your external community partnerships and it is incumbent upon us to solidify those industry partnerships that can facilitate long-term structured job training experiences for students of the Centre for The Deaf," he said.

He acknowledged the business firms that opened their doors to the six graduating students allowing them to facilitate their Job Experience Programme and to St Michael's Methodist Church for making possible the school's Tennis Programme.