DISTRIBUTION of school uniform vouchers in two riverine counties has been completed by the Region Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands) administration last week.

This was according to officials from the Region’s Three administration.

The Uniform Programme began in 2001 and since then the Government has spent over $300M to assist children living in difficult circumstances with school uniforms.

This programme was started after it was found that school children were not attending school because their parents could not afford school uniform.

President Bharrat Jagdeo made this observation during outreaches conducted across the country and soon after the School Feeding and School Uniform programmes were initiated.

This voucher programme complements a similar outreach done by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to ensure that all of Guyana’s children who are in need receive this assistance.

For this year’s programme over 30,000 children across Guyana are expected to benefit from the Uniform Voucher Assistance Programme, which began on Monday, June 23, 2009.

The vouchers are valued at $1,500 each and are a part of the Government of Guyana’s attempts to assist vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and disabled persons.

They can be exchanged at selected stores in the various regions for only school uniforms or school supplies.

In this year’s National Budget a total of $55M was allocated towards the uniform voucher assistance programme.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Priya Manickchand, at the launch of the project, said that the Government has recognised that some parents, for various reasons are unable to provide the necessities to send their children to school.

These vouchers therefore, assist parents to ensure that their children receive a sound education,” the minister said as she stressed that Government is happy to help in this regard.

She also said that in the riverine and hinterland areas all students will be receiving uniform vouchers.

Regional Chairman, Mr. Julius Faerber, confirmed this and pointed out that schools in the Essequibo River received their vouchers on Tuesday last, while schools in the Demerara River acquired theirs on Thursday.

Faerber said parents, teachers and pupils were on hand to receive their vouchers and also expressed deep gratitude for the assistance.

Noting that all children attending schools in the riverine communities were given vouchers, the Regional Chairman emphasised, at the handing over exercises, that the initiative complemented the Government of Guyana’s mandate to assist the most vulnerable.

He admonished parents to continue shouldering their responsibilities to ensure that their children/child attend/s school regularly and punctual.

Faerber was accompanied by officials from the Regional Department of Education for the distribution exercise.