Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 06, 2022 News
…says another corruption scandal awaits, suggests non-issuance of more textbooks instead
Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education has threatened that school children who have not returned the textbooks they used during the term, will not receive the $30,000 cash grant that was approved in the National Assembly to help parents offset expenses for the new school year.
However, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Juretha Fernandes believes that this tactic can open the door to corruption.
In a social media post, Fernandes, who functions as Shadow Finance Minister, argued, “The money was budgeted for every child and approved in the National Assembly without conditionality and should not be subjected to any conditions, because that will lead to another set of corruption when whomever is in charge of the distribution at the various schools would have the power to give children of their friends or family or favorites who may have outstanding text books while withholding from others and the double standard system that was operating with the COVID cash grant would be in full play again.”
She was keen to note that while she supports a system of ensuring textbooks are returned, a more efficient way would be to not issue any new textbooks for the new year until the old ones are returned.
Additionally, Fernandes suggested “…and not to issue transfer until books are returned, etcetera.” She pointed out that there is already a system in place whereby students graduating from high school are already not allowed to uplift results without returning their textbooks.
The Shadow Minister reasoned, “We have to be tactful in our approach to yield effective results. And the aim should never be to further punish the poor but a balance approach that will ensure a ‘win win’ situation.”
On Friday last, the Ministry of Education in a memo said that only those students who returned the textbooks will be eligible for the cash grant.
The grant, which is the $30,000 ‘Because We Care’ school voucher, is slated to begin distribution later this month.
“It is therefore necessary that all primary and secondary school students return textbooks received in the academic year, September 2021-July 2022,” the memo states.
Reminding parents of the importance of these textbooks, Minister Manickchand, in a Facebook post reminded that, “parents signed a contract to this effect when they collected the textbooks.”
To this end, she appealed, “…my friends, the textbooks have helped tremendously in your children’s education. We need them for the next class.”
The memo, which was signed by Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, mentioned also that head teachers are required to advise parents/guardians that in instances where loaned textbooks are lost or destroyed, parents will be given the option of buying and replacing those textbooks.
They are also tasked with notifying parents/guardians that a fee of $5,000 will be charged for each textbook lost or destroyed. This fee will apply to those parents who cannot replace lost or destroyed textbooks.
Head teachers too, are required to inform parents/guardians that the schools will issue a slip stating all textbooks have been returned.
Finally, they will submit to the Departments of Education on or before July 14, 2022, a list of names of students as per school and level, who have failed to return or pay for textbooks lost or destroyed.
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