…Min Henry assures every vulnerable child, community will benefit

THE government will continue to expand its school feeding programme until the needs of every “vulnerable” and “disadvantaged” child is addressed.

This was made clear on Thursday by Minister of Education Nicolette Henry when the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly continued its consideration of the estimates of the 2019 national budget. Minister Henry told parliamentarians that, “We would have said to the nation that we intend to expand the school feeding programme, and we did just that and we will continue to expand the programme further until we address those that are most vulnerable and disadvantage. We will go to every vulnerable child and every vulnerable community in this country.”

She was at the time responding to a range of questions on the budgetary allocations under the Education Ministry in the 2019 budget. Opposition MP, Priya Manickchand asked why the ministry was unable to spend the total budgetary allocation of $1.097B for this year on primary education dietary expenses. Henry said the students catered for under the expansion could not be reached because the programme had to be audited.
The Former Education Minister also asked whether any special consideration was made for areas where the children of former sugar workers live. “I wish to say that sugar workers children were given special consideration as they fall into the category of children that would require this support,” Minister Henry said.

Minister Henry told the committee that she would be happy to provide information on the expansion of the school feeding programme to the National Assembly. Since assuming office, the government has been placing emphasis in improving the conditions at President’s College on the East Coast of Demerara. Among the programmes catered for in the national budget is the feeding programme at the school.

During intense grilling by the Opposition, Minister Henry said that regarding the composition of the meals for students at the President’s College, she would also be “more than happy” to share the school’s menu with the Opposition. Henry noted too that the cost per meal per student at President’s College is now $1800. She said the previous government spent $800 per meal and the coalition government has increased it by $1000. She said a further breakdown is possible at the Opposition’s request.

On Thursday, Manickchand, a former Education Minister, attempted to include comments on a $10,000 cash grant which the PPP administration previously administered, in her line of questioning of Minister Henry. The cash grant is being peddled by the Opposition in its messages to the population ever since the government changed in 2015, but Minister of State Joseph Harmon stated last week during the budget debates that the grant was ceased under the PPP on the grounds that the initiative was “fiscally unsustainable”. “So this question about bringing back cash-grant; what are you asking for, bring back something that you stopped yourself?” Harmon asked.

He said that a call for the return of the grant is all the Opposition has in mind, in the face of “a stellar performance “by the Education Ministry under the current administration.