to purchase janitorial, office and field supplies
By Cassandra Khan
AS part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) National Schools’ Grant Programme 2023, subject minister Priya Manickchand on Friday handed over $66.4 million to 95 nursery, primary and secondary schools of Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) to purchase janitorial, office and field supplies for the Christmas term.
Minister Manickchand, speaking to head teachers, deputy head teachers, and school representatives gathered in Lethem, said that for years, the MOE has heard the complaint from teachers about the lack of supplies in classrooms.
“We have heard the same complaint that teachers felt that they were unable to adequately prepare and maintain their classrooms in a child-friendly way without expending their own resources,” she said.
She noted that even parents would raise issues since at Parent Teacher Association meetings, parents would be requested to contribute items for the children in the classroom such as board erasers, mop, soap and more, which they found to be burdensome.
In an effort to obliterate the issue, the Ministry saw it best to give direct control to schools, to purchase their own items.
According to Minister Manickchand, schools on the coast are receiving $4,000 per child, while in the hinterland and riverine areas, schools are receiving $5,500 per child.
A separate amount is also being given to dorms, $5,500 per child, which is in addition to what the region will do for janitorial, office and field supplies.
She said that the difference in what the schools on the coast and hinterland areas are receiving is because the MOE is cognizant of the different costs of supplies and transportation costs in the different areas of Guyana.

The head teachers, deputies, and representatives were each given a list of items which can be purchased with the money. They are also to provide receipts for each purchase, to show how the money is being spent.
The Education Minister said that unfortunately, the money is not for the purchase of capital items, however; they are hopeful that by next year, the Ministry of Finance would allow them to pay it as a subvention, increasing the latitude to purchase capital items.
She told the gathering that she was not of the view that any of the funds would be misused in any way and explained that any head teacher who does not want to deal with the funds, does not have to.
“Any head teacher or teacher that doesn’t want to deal with this, we will either find a teacher at the school who wants to and who can or we will buy goods or services and bring them into the school and give them to you. It’s a voluntary programme. You don’t have to take it,” she said.
She also urged teachers that if funds are left over from the Christmas Term funds, to also buy for January, since Budget 2024 will take place in late January.
“You are getting this every term…you got small change left back from the Christmas term, you buy for January because the budget comes out late January so we won’t be able to give you this until February,” Minister Manickchand stated.
She added: “I see a future where all your children have calculators, where geometry sets are bought and stored so that a child without one can loan it and bring it back”
The Guyana Chronicle spoke to a few teachers who expressed their happiness to be receiving funds to support the buying of supplies for their classrooms and schools.
Assistant headteacher of Semonie Primary School, Central Rupununi, Riley Gregory, said that he was pleased to hear about the initiative and he is grateful for it.
He noted that during his past three years of being assistant headmaster, he faced challenges such as materials and supplies not being delivered in a timely manner, or it not being of the type the school needed, when the Education department or region would make purchases.
Therasa Lewis, Head Teacher of Shulinab Nursery School related that it is a great initiative, which will help them to buy the items that they are in great need of.