HUNDREDS of North Abaconians gathered at the Central Abaco High School grounds on Saturday to hear from PLP candidate Renardo Curry and Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Discussing his plan for the constituency, Mr Curry said: “It starts with education. I’ve been working in youth development for a long time, and it is my deepest conviction that education is a necessity, not a luxury.

“For people to lift themselves up, or to stay competitive, they will need 21st century skills. Our high school graduates need better access to scholarships, and it’s time for vocational schools like BTVI to be established in Abaco.

“College graduates should have our support for job placement. We need continuing education and training programmes for government workers. And we need to support lifelong learning here in North Abaco, there is always more for us to learn, new skills to gain, new opportunities for Bahamians.”

Continuing with the education theme, Prime Minister Christie said: “We can’t quite believe that there aren’t any pre-schools in North Abaco. That just won’t do – not when there is now comprehensive evidence that the earliest years are some of the most important, that a good preschool education can provide benefits for years to come.

“North Abaco, we want your children to get off to a strong start. You need new pre-schools here, and you will have them.”

Mr Christie added that there is a need for more sea patrols to protect Abaconians from foreign poachers, as well as more incentives and grants for farmers.

He also focused on the tourism product.

“We need to do a better job promoting Treasure Cay and Green Turtle Cay and all the treasures of North Abaco – the world should know about the beaches and the hospitality that make it so special here. We are going to bring the way we advertise our islands into the 21st century – with new technology and social media promotions, and with an increased budget that reflects our serious commitment to you.”