Parents of children on the registers of public schools will soon be receiving the $10,000 grant announced in this year’s budget as the scheme is being launched on Saturday.
The Ministry of Education made the announcement last evening. Following the announcement of the initiative in this year’s budget, some parents had expressed concern about the length of time it was taking for the cash to be distributed. It had been hoped that the money would have been distributed before the start of the new school year.
In a statement, the Ministry said parents are asked to pay close attention to the distribution schedule along with the list of distribution sites, which will be published weekly in the newspapers.
Dubbed the Government of Guyana Because We Care $10,000 Cash grant, the release said the only eligibility criteria to be met to benefit from the scheme is that a student must be on the register of a public school.
The statement said that every class in every school across Guyana was asked to submit a list of the students on their current 2014/2015 Register. Further, head teachers were ordered to verify the lists submitted by their class teachers. Regional Education Officers were then instructed to further check those lists submitted by schools in their region.
The Ministry of Education therefore said it shall be constrained to distribute vouchers only to parents/guardians of children who appear on the list compiled by the school and submitted to Central Ministry.
However, there were several exceptions announced in the statement. The statement said that the Ministry’s policy is to accept children into school anytime that they appear and express an interest once they are within the stipulated age range.
According to the statement, Regional Education Officers have said to the Ministry that since the submission to Central Ministry of the list of eligible students, new children have been enrolled and will now be on the register.
“This year has seen even larger numbers of late registration than before because of the promise of the BECAUSE WE CARE 10,000 dollar cash grant. These children would therefore be entitled under the eligibility criteria laid out”, the release said.
The Ministry said it is also aware that due to inadvertence and/or negligence of teachers, head-teachers and/or education officers, some lists that were submitted have excluded the names of children who are presently enrolled in school and therefore eligible to receive this BECAUSE WE CARE grant.
“The Government is of the considered view that these children should not suffer for the failures/inadvertence of adults, whether that failure/inadvertence caused their non – registration or exclusion from the list”, message stated.
Therefore, the release said that every child on the school’s Register who is registered on any date prior to the 10th October 2014, will be entitled to receive the BECAUSE WE CARE 10,000 dollar cash grant.
According to the release, at the distribution venues, a separate register will be kept of any child who is registered but not on the list supplied to the Ministry. Details such as the name of the child, name of the school, head-teacher’s name, contact information of the parents/guardians, reason for the child not being on the list supplied to the Ministry of Education etc. will be recorded. This information will be verified and the BECAUSE WE CARE 10,000 dollar voucher will later be delivered to the home of the child by the relevant Head – teacher, teacher and Regional Education Officer.
At the distribution centre, parents/guardians would have to present themselves at the scheduled distribution venue to uplift the voucher with identification. The identification could be ID cards, passports or driver’s licences. Persons desirous of encashing the vouchers will have to attend any Western Union/Bill Express across Guyana, offer required information and present a valid Identification document. Identification cards, passports, driver’s licences are all acceptable the release added.
Persons are being asked to note that vouchers will not be left at the school for distribution and/or receipt on any other day than that which is scheduled and advertised. It said that if a parent/guardian misses the scheduled delivery date, and wishes to benefit from the programme, that parent/guardian will have to attend the Regional Education Office to uplift the voucher on another date to be announced later.
The cash grant initiative was announced by Dr Ashni Singh during the presentation of budget 2014.
As explained by the Minister of Finance this programme is meant to provide more support to parents with school age children and increase the disposable income of parents with school age children with a view to raising enrollment and attendance rates.
