22,000 Region Six students expected to benefit as distribution of school vouchers begins
The Ministry of Education yesterday began the distribution of vouchers for school uniforms and supplies in Region Six, where 22,000 students are expected to benefit at a cost of about $90 million.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton were all present at various schools within the region throughout the day yesterday to hand over the $ 4,000 vouchers to head teachers, who are to distribute them to parents this week.
According to Manickchand, across the coastland approximately 160,000 students will benefit, “and that amounts to $650 million at $4,000 each.” She added that students in the hinterland, who have received uniform fabric in previous years, will now receive cash as well due to the delay in sourcing fabric. “… We think people need this kind of assistance right away,” she said.
She also noted that stores interested in supplying fabric would have had to reach out to the ministry after a public notice to be accredited for the programme. “We are very pleased to bring this... This is a just a small part of the kind of assistance we intend to give that will complement the high quality teaching we want in the classroom because we know that building fancy schools, which we intend to do, and training teachers and putting furniture in the schools, sometimes is not enough to reach every household,” she said.
Manickchand added that it is important to look at what “individual needs are.” “So as you see the high rise buildings going up and as you see the roads being built, we want people to feel in their pockets lighter and freer,” she added.
Additionally, Manickchand stressed that the government has not only embarked on distributing school vouchers and the “Because We Care Cash Grant, which is expected to come on board next year,” but it has also removed VAT from electricity, water and other items, so that parents will pay less on their bills.
“We hope that that kind of assistance sees results in how families are able to develop and are able to produce in terms of results,” she said.
Additionally, the minister stressed that it is hoped that the investments being made in the education system see returns. “Students doing better, students receiving more that is proportionate to the investments we are making in the sector, so there is going to be heavy monitoring and evaluation going on,” she noted.
The distribution exercise was carried out at various secondary, primary and nursery schools throughout the region yesterday.