-Manickchand
MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand has said that the Government of Guyana has injected billions of dollars towards the support for students and parents through various programmes to improve access to education.
She made these remarks during a recent press conference where she provided updates on the state of the education sector.
According to Manickchand, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration had promised to improve the support of parents and homes to ensure that children are educated in its manifesto.
Against this backdrop, the Because We Care cash grant was reintroduced and from 2021 to 2024, she noted that some $27 billion has been placed in the hands of parents to support access to education among other things.
“I know all parents look forward to it but I don’t think people understand the cumulative effect of this grant and it’s really giving back to our parents and the children of this country. $27 billion in the four years that we have been there,” she said.
Added to this, she said that shortly, the ministry will be putting out posters depicting what every child should have in their bookbags and textbooks that are needed among other things. With this, she disclosed that the textbooks and exercise books programme has injected $8.2 billion into children’s bookbags.
Meanwhile, another investment the government has made she said is the breakfast and school feeding programme which by the end of the year would amount to some $9.9 billion.
Manickchand added, “All children across the country in Grades Five and Six and in the hinterland primary schools as well as the secondary schools in the hinterland receive either breakfast, a hot meal, juice and biscuit or lunch depending on where they are.”
The education minister told members of the media that the PPP/C administration has invested in the cash grants, breakfast programme and even boats and buses, with which more have been bought in three years than the former APNU government had done in five years.
“So, I just want you to understand that parents and children could access education so that they can avail themselves for the many opportunities we see coming their way,” she added.
Against this backdrop, she revealed that while the cash grant programme was abolished under the previous government which said they would give boats, breakfast, buses and bicycles, if one is to check, many children from various regions like Regions 10 and Two and even communities along the East Bank of Demerara did not benefit from this.
