Govt’s “Because we care” cash grant is an act of love, service – Minister Manickchand
─ as House approves $285.1M for grant to private schools
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, M.P, on Thursday, reiterated the Government’s vision of ensuring every school aged child is provided with the necessary resources to access a sound education.
During the 33rd sitting of the National Assembly, Minister Manickchand stated that the government’s “Because we care” cash grant and school uniform voucher programme for students in both the public and private school systems is an act of love and service to Guyana’s children.
“We made a promise, our promise is that we would restore the cash grant for students once we got into office, and in the midst of an election crisis that should have never happened, that caused a lot of economic strain, in the midst of a pandemic, in the midst of giving every household $25,000, in the midst of the biggest flood we have seen in this country, we thought it was a priority we kept our promise to give every child $19,000,” she said as she rebutted claims from the Parliamentary Opposition that the programme was being used to score political points.
Some $285,119,100 was approved for the provision of cash grants for students in the private school system.
Initially, money was budgeted for the programme only for students in public schools. It was later extended to include private school students.
Minister Manickchand told the Committee of Supply that a total of $3,352,774,00 was distributed to students registered in public schools across the country, while $323,000,000 was disbursed to 17,000 students in the public school system.
“This will not stop under the PPP/C. It will continue until it reaches at least $50,000.”
The “Because we care” cash grant and school uniforms voucher is the brainchild of the PPP/C administration and was introduced in 2014. The programme was discontinued by the previous APNU+AFC Administration.
The reintroduction and increase in the grant, is a manifesto promise fulfilled by the PPP/C Administration within their first year in office.