THE Government of Guyana is preparing to launch its Public Education Assistance Scheme (PEAS), which will see parents being rewarded with cash grants for ensuring their children attend school regularly. This money will benefit parents of school children up to 15 years old.

This announcement was made by President David Granger, on Saturday evening, at the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) rally in Lethem, as he highlighted the plans in store for the transformation of Guyana into an ‘Education Nation,’ during the Decade of Development (2020-2029).

PEAS forms part of the cash grant programme President Granger recently announced, which will be funded by proceeds from the Oil and Gas Industry.

The aim is to ensure that there is maximum school attendance and that parents will be rewarded monetarily for ensuring their children attend school. “This will be a reward to parents who keep their children in school. If parents could show that their child, their children have a high attendance record, they will be paid for every day that child goes to school, up to the age of 15,” the President said.

The announcement of cash transfers for school children was made at the APNU-AFC rally in Essequibo, where the President said that the monies will go to the homes of families with school-aged children. “We don’t want to put oil money into the hands of rich people. We want to put money into the hands of your homes, your households and that is why cabinet has deliberated. We are going to ensure that every family that gets children to school, get a cash grant to keep that child in school. The money will be coming to you. It’s your money, the President had said.

PEAS is an added feature to the school’s public provision system which includes transportation, meals and scholarships. President Granger said that during the Decade of Development, these programmes that are already benefitting thousands of children across Guyana, will be expanded and strengthened until every child in Guyana becomes a beneficiary.

To date, 1,088 students benefitted from the Public Education Scholarship Programme, 882 alone from the hinterland regions. Under the Public Education Transportation System (PETS), 30 buses were distributed countrywide. In Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), many villages have been recipients of school buses. These include Annai, Aishalton and Sand Creek. Over 5,000 bicycles were presented to students, and one dozen boats were handed over to riverine communities.

At the rally on Sunday, bicycles were presented to students from far-flung communities in the district, helping to make their commute to school easier.

“That is what the Public Education Transportation Service is doing and during our next term of office, we will provide more buses, more boats and more bicycles to get children to school, that is what we are going to do. Every child must go to school; every child must find a place in school, so the Public Education Transportation Service is working for you. This is not an election promise, it has been working since the 15th July, 2015 and it will continue to work, until every Guyanese child will go to school without having to paddle a canoe or walk four hours a day to school, that is what is going to happen in this country,” President Granger assured the residents.

In addition, hundreds of students, particularly in the hinterland, are greeted with a hot meal at school upon their arrival. President Granger said while the programme now targets particularly hinterland communities, it will be extended to the coastland and other areas, so that more children will be fed at school.

It is for these reasons, the President urged parents at the rally, to re-elect the coalition government, to ensure their children benefit from an upgraded education system, which will guarantee them a bright future.

“So we are working for you….so you see what we are doing for education and young people, my brothers and sisters, this APNU+AFC Administration is working hard, not just for re-election but to enable Guyana to reach the same standard of development by 2029, the end of the Decade of Development,” he further assured the people.

Another plan in store for education during the Decade of Development is the establishment of technical institutes in every region. The first Hinterland Technical Institute was commissioned a few days ago at Bina Hall, North Rupununi. Free education from nursery to university will also return, in addition to the establishment of smart classrooms across the region and the establishment of regional branches of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).