Linden parents think long-term
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand interacting with parents at the ‘Because We Care’ distribution exercise at the Christiansburg-Wismar Secondary School on Thursday (Ministry of Education photos)
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand interacting with parents at the ‘Because We Care’ distribution exercise at the Christiansburg-Wismar Secondary School on Thursday (Ministry of Education photos)

–plan using ‘Because We Care’ grant to facilitate children’s online learning

WITH the government injecting over 200M into Linden through the “Because We Care” cash grant initiative, many parents plan on utilising the monies wisely, in their children’s best interest.
Amanda Boodram, who resides in Linden, one of the many communities in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), told this publication that she will be collecting the cash grant for her four school-aged children, and will be utilizing it to provide internet access to the entire household. She noted that one of the biggest needs her children have presently is access to the Internet, since schools have moved to Online learning. The ‘Because We Care’ grant is valued at $15,000 this year, and the School Uniform and Supplies Grant is valued at $4,000, giving a total of $19,000 for each child in the public-school system. “I have four children in school; two at secondary who are 16 and 14. I feel happy, because I gon’ put some more with it and bring in their own Internet, because we don’t have our own Internet, and it would help them study more better,” Boodram said, adding: “No; I’m not working, but my husband working, and my two sons. The grant strictly going to Internet and light, because I got to get light. I gon’ shop for them later, but I want the Internet and the light now.”

Linden resident, Amanda Boodram at the ‘Because We Care’ distribution exercise at the Christiansburg-Wismar Secondary School

Another Lindener, Desna Joseph, who is a single-mother of four children, aged 15, 10, eight, and five, noted that the grant comes at a particularly difficult time, and would enable her to take care of a portion of the expenses she has for the children’s new school year.
She noted that she lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, and since then has taken up vending homemade plantain chips to provide for her family.
“I haven’t started any school shopping; I’m currently not working, and it’s been difficult not having a job. But I still gotta do everything to take care of my children, so sometimes I does get through with a little selling,” Joseph said. “I does do plantain chips and sell; and that’s how I’ve been paying my bills. But this initiative came in handy, because at least now I get a little support, so my expenses cut down a little bit. So I’m glad for that,” she added.

Mother of four, Desna Joseph

Joseph collected a total of $76,000 from the cash grant initiative for her four school-aged children.
Another resident, Wesley Daniels noted that he will be utilising the funds he received from the cash grant and adding to it to purchase the necessary textbooks for his children while school remains Online. He noted that, as a parent, he believes that this type of initiative can greatly assist any parent with school-aged children, as their needs were already vast prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with school moving to Online brought more needs.
“All parents know that children’s needs are many, and with the pandemic and children having different needs like ‘Tablets’, computers and Internet access and all that, it’s more costly, especially on parents who aren’t working,” Daniels said.

‘COME IN HANDY’

Wesley Daniels, father of three

“I was fortunate enough to still have a job, and I can say still this grant would come in handy for me; that money I would save I could use it to pay for another device or something else that they would need in the future,” the father of three added.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand reiterated the government’s trust in parents to assess the needs of their children, and utilise the monies from the grant to ensure that those needs are met. “Anything you do with this money is a good expenditure,” Minister Manickchand said.
The foregoing statements were made by the minister at the ‘Because We Care’ distribution exercise at the Christiansburg- Wismar Secondary School in response to criticism in some quarters over the government’s decision to provide the grants in direct cash payments instead of the usual vouchers.
Businessman Zakir Ally, in a Letter to the Editor in the July 22, 2021 edition of one of the local dailies stated that the “Business community wanted vouchers given to schoolchildren instead of cash.”

In the letter, Ally states, “The business community that deals solely in school items is not happy with the decision by the government in distributing cash for students. The Government had said they would give $15,000 in cash and $4,000 in vouchers, but gave only cash. Vouchers force parents to buy school materials that would go 99% towards the students.”
Minister Manickchand noted that government believes that each individual should have the opportunity to choose what their child’s immediate needs are, and should be able to utilise the cash grants for that purpose.
“The parents of Guyana that I know spend their last on their children; you saving up for something that you want. Money gone towards the textbook; we sacrifice for our children,” said the Education Minister.
She noted that the government endorses and supports any purchase that will benefit the children, whether directly for school items or for items that would enable them to have a better quality of life. She noted that these items could range from school uniforms to textbooks, or even a television set to allow their children access to the recently-relaunched Guyana Learning Channel.

REOPENING OF SCHOOLS

The Education Minister highlighted the government’s willingness to have schools reopened to face-to-face learning in the new school year to mitigate the learning loss recorded in the school system. She noted that the ministry’s recently concluded mock examinations for children expected to sit the 2021 ‘Common Entrance’ examinations have shown that performance has dropped somewhat. She pleaded with parents in the region to ensure that they consider taking any of the three COVID-19 vaccines presently being administered by the government, noting that the only way to safely reopen schools is to ensure that the spread of the virus is minimised.
International studies have shown that the longer students stay away from physical schooling, the more previously learned information is lost and forgotten.
“If you don’t take this vaccine, I can’t open schools, and if we don’t open schools, your children will suffer,” Minister Manickchand reasoned. “All these dreams we had of what they will be when they grow up will be affected; it is one of the realities of the times we’re living in. You are their only shield.”
Government is currently working to procure COVID-19 vaccines that would be used to vaccinate children ages 12-17. Minister Manickchand reminded parents that they must take all necessary precautions to protect their children and themselves from the deadly effects of the COVID-19 virus.

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