100 new Pacific scholarships next year

New Zealand will double the number of scholarships available to young people from the Pacific next year, boosting support for education in the region, Prime Minister John Key announced today.

"An educated and highly-skilled Pacific population is vital to future leadership in the region, and critical for economic and social development," Mr Key says.

"The additional 100 places for 2011 will bring the total to 200 for the year - a significant increase.

"New Zealand is developing a new scholarship scheme which will focus on increasing study opportunities for Pacific people, raising student performance, and developing leadership skills. 

"This will boost our education investment to $15 million per year. I believe this is a key building block for the future success of the region."

"The new Pacific scholarships will also have a greater focus on promoting people-to-people links with New Zealanders and will include high-performance incentives."

Mr Key says scholarships funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme play an important role in addressing skill gaps in the Pacific, which can constrain development efforts.

"Increasing the number of places available for Pacific students reflects this Government's commitment to delivering more of our aid to our closest neighbours and supporting the economic development of the region," Mr Key says.

For more information visit www.nzaid.govt.nz/scholarships/