Parents urged to play stronger role in the education system

A mother of two, Brittany Henry has urged other parents to play a stronger role within the education system to build a robust environment for their children’s success.

Henry made this plea during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) after she uplifted her ‘Because We Care’ cash grant at the Mocha/Arcadia Primary School on Tuesday.

As she received the grants, the mother noted that the money would be put to good use since it would go towards purchasing the necessities for her children.

During this time, Henry urged other parents to spend wisely and foster a better relationship with the teachers. She also challenged the parents to learn about the programmes and policies implemented within the school system.

“I am urging parents to do the same and not to only come when it’s time to collect cash grants. I will advise parents to be a support system for both their kids and the schools at large because that’s our way forward and it will only lead to a bright future for our kids,” the mother of two stated.

Similarly, a mother of one, Grace Bentick said the financial burden has been lessened and she is grateful.

Bentick’s son just wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and is awaiting his results. The grant will help to purchase the necessities for his new school.

“I’m very thankful. It will come into great use because right now I am not working. And so, I will be able to go and pick up his school clothes when I get his results,” the mother told DPI.

The distribution also saw parents from the Mocha/Arcadia Nursery and a private school gathered at the primary institution to uplift their grants.

Additionally, a representative from the School’s Welfare Department for the East Bank District Eulita Browne noted that a total of 431 pupils are benefitting at the location.

While visiting the school to oversee the process, the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy stressed the overarching investments that the government has made over the years to better the quality of education for all. 

“We are here today with a grant that is now $45,000…We are, as a government, creating the environment in which our children can grow educationally,” the minister said.

The cash grant is now in its fourth year of distribution after the return of the PPP/C government.

He said that the PPP/C Government kept its promise to parents by gradually improving the grant to the parents and keeping the investments in the education sector flowing.

“This grant was squashed by the previous administration. They deemed it a waste of taxpayers’ money. But we revived this programme and we committed in our manifesto to increasing it annually, and to the point where we noted that it would be $50,000 within the first five years of government,” McCoy remarked.