– President tells Region Six residents at roll out of education grant

THE Government of Guyana’s “Because We Care” $10,000 education grant continues to be rolled out at schools across the country and, on Sunday, disbursement of the grant continued in Region Six with parents from 20 schools benefitting with Berbice High School, Berbice Educational Institute, New Amsterdam Secondary and St. Therese Primary School serving as the distribution centres.The education grant is the latest in a series of initiatives extended by Government to parents to ensure that students get the best education.

This was pointed out by President Donald Ramotar, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and Regional Chairman, Permaul Armogan, when they formally launched the region’s rollout exercise at the Berbice High School, and as they continued throughout the day, meeting parents at the other distribution sites in the region.
The President noted that the initiative “Because We Care” is aptly named, because records testify to Government’s commitment to education of the nation’s students. In fact, testimonies to Government’s care are its renovation and/or construction of 1000 schools, the achievement of universal primary education and being on the verge of attaining universal secondary education. Government is also on the verge of attaining 100 percent trained teachers in all school, with the current rate being 75 percent.
“We are providing the schools with materials, we are providing ‘hot meals’ in schools, snacks, assistance for uniform; we are trying to take the pressure off parents and would have now come to this ($10,000 grant) to give our parents more assistance, to ensure our children would stay in school and learn,” the Guyanese Head of State said.

The President said that given time, the country has the potential to reach a ‘developed’ status. He pointed out that workers of the country now, as well as those of the future, would build this developed country, hence Government’s focus on educating the nation.
“We possess all the materials, all the ability to move to a develop country in the shortest period of time. We have natural resources, and we have talented people…what we need to do is to build on the natural talents of our people, to provide them and enhance their talents with sound scientific education, so that they can help to move our country forward,” the President posited.
Further, he noted that, “There is no better gift that you can give to a child than to give that child a sound education.”
President Ramotar explained that parents have the responsibility to provide children with two things – roots (so that they can have morals and values) and education (so that they can soar).
“We cannot love them and hold them back,” he said.

This focus, in ensuring the laying of a strong foundation for a prosperous society has been the basis for Government’s allocation, annually, of 30 percent of the nation’s budget to the social sectors, the largest chunk of which goes to the education sector.
“We are spending our money where it can affect more of our people in a bigger way,” the President explained.
This provision of the majority of the allocation to the social sector is important, as well, in ensuring the redistribution of wealth and income in society, and ensuring no one is at a disadvantage because of their economic position.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, in her remarks to Berbicians on Sunday, alluded to the fact that Guyana has copped the majority of the prestigious CSEC awards. She noted that Guyanese students continue to shine because of the enabling educational resources and facilities made available to them in the country as a result of Government’s unwavering support, focus and commitment to the education sector.
Those resources range from having a school to go to, furniture to sit and write on and books from which to study, the Education Minister said. Government has invested millions of dollars to meet the furniture requirement of all schools, and as of September 2014 all schools have been outfitted in this regard, Minister Manickchand said.
Government has also ensured the supply of text books in schools and, in this regard, from nursery, to secondary, every student has at his/her disposal an English and Mathematics text.
The Caribbean Examination Council recently announced that Guyana copped four of the eight regional awards this year including Best Overall student. Guyana won five of the eight awards last year.
The Regional Chairman outlined the other programmes, including the school feeding and uniform voucher assistance, which the cash grant is aiming to complement.
Parents from Regions One, Three and Seven and some city areas have benefitted since the rolling out of the grant initiative on October 11 in Bartica.
The project caters for all children in the public education system. Over 188,400 families will benefit from the $2 billion initiative.

(GINA)