MORE than 27,000 parents across the nation have already uplifted their ‘Because We Care’ cash grant and the uniform assistance and according to education officials, there were no hiccups in the distribution process.

According to Education Minister Priya Manickchand, 4,062 envelopes were issued to parents on the East Bank of Demerara, which totals some $182,790,000 that is now in the hands of families.

Meanwhile, 13,515 envelopes were distributed to those parents residing in Georgetown, amounting to $608,175,000, while 7,927 envelopes valued $356,715,000 were handed over to parents in Berbice.

Further, in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) 1,868 envelopes were distributed to parents, totalling $84,060,000 in total while a total of $60 million was distributed in Port Kaituma.

While the distribution of the cash grants was being done, Minister Manickchand and a number of other government officials were present at numerous schools across the nation to see the process firsthand.

According to the information reaching this publication, the day went as planned and the distribution process went very smoothly.

This year, the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant has been increased to $40,000, coupled with the $5,000 uniform allowance, placing over $9 billion into the pockets of many parents.

Last year, a total of 201,281 public and private school students benefitted from the initiative, which saw some $8.1 billion being expended.

The undertaking fits into the PPP/C government’s promise to provide financial support to families, improve attendance, and promote better attentiveness at school.
Notably, the education sector’s budget significantly increased, from 51 billion dollars in 2020 to 135 billion dollars in the current year, marking a substantial increase of about 162 per cent.

This funding has enabled a series of improvements in the sector, including infrastructural development and the erection of several state-of-the-art education facilities across Guyana.