“Because We Care” cash grant: Parents of private school children also want to benefit

− say all children should be treated equally

In light of the recent decision by the Government to distribute $3.2 billion to children in the public school system, there have been mounting concerns about whether or not children who are attending private institutions will receive equal treatment.

In fact, parents took to social media to question the move by the Government to only give those children who attend public schools.
“We know we have children in the private school system. However, persons do not understand by what means the parents or guardians are using to send them to the private schools… They are children on scholarships…Parents could be making sacrifices to send their children to private schools because their experience with the public schools might not have been the best. To exclude our private school and still be able to say the children of Guyana are going to benefit…It is not right, it is not just. It is very unfair,” one parent told Guyana Times about the “Because We Care” cash grant.
The woman said that herself and other parents are considering presenting a petition to the Education Minister “so that we can have a meeting to find out why is it that our children are not getting access to these funds because they are in the private school.”
Moreover, persons have also taken Facebook to criticise the Government’s move to make the cash grant available exclusively to public school students. One person wrote: “All children supposed to benefit from the cash grant, they are all children of this land. It does not matter which school they go to. They have each and every right to that cash grant. Another person expressed, “Pure discrimination on children.”
Back in 2020, just after the PPP/C Administration took office, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, during a press conference has stated that discussions were still in the pipeline on whether the “Because We Care” cash grant initiative will be open to private school students.
Manickchand had agreed that some parents are facing difficulties in sending their children to private institutions, and Government was not opposed to providing the grant which is meant specifically to those attending public school. But almost one year later, it appears as though no decision has been taken on this.
When contacted on Sunday for an update on whether the government will be extending the program to private schools, the Minister directed this newspaper to a release which stated that the answer was negative.
The press release issued on Saturday said that the distribution of the cash grant will commence this week. “The Because We Care Grant is valued at $15,000 this year and the School Uniform and Supplies Grant is valued at $4,000, giving a total of $19,000 for each child in the public education system,” the press statement noted.
Some 172,000 public school students are expected to benefit from the programme this year, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash. The distribution schedule for the “Because We Care” cash grant will be posted on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page, the Ministry’s website, and in the daily newspapers.
“Parents or guardians of children in the public school system from nursery to secondary level are to visit the respective schools on the scheduled date to uplift the grant. If a parent or guardian fails to uplift the grant on the scheduled date, they will be allowed to do so at a later date at the Department of Education for that region or education district,” a statement from the Ministry said on Saturday.
This later date will be announced at another time but will be after the entire exercise has been concluded. Parents or guardians are also asked to walk with a valid form of identification when going to uplift the grant. These are the national identification card, driver’s licence, or passport. Persons who do not possess any of these documents can still uplift the grant but their relationship to the child must be confirmed by a senior official in the community or the school’s Head Teacher.
The Education Ministry noted that the cash grant initiative “aims to serve each child before September 2021. This initiative of the Government is to assist families so that they can provide the necessary resources to their children so that they can not only remain in school but to also excel in their studies.”
Meanwhile, distribution will start on Wednesday in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) at the Cotton Field Secondary, Anna Regina Secondary, Taymouth Manor Primary, Fisher Primary, Suddie Primary, Riverstown Primary, Aurora Primary, and Tapakuma Lake Primary. The initiative then moves to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on July 25.
“We encourage all parents and guardians to uplift the grants and use it in the best interest of their children as we work together to give those who will be the leaders of tomorrow the opportunity to be the best that they can be,” the missive concluded.
In the 383 billion National Budget passed in March, some $60.7 billion was allocated for the education sector. In keeping with its election campaign manifesto, the PPP/C Administration increased the “Because We Care” cash grant from $10,000 to $15,000. The Government has increased the school uniform and supplies grant from $2000 to $4000, representing a 100 per cent increase.
The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 under the PPP/C Government. It was implemented to provide support to parents with school-age children and increase their disposable income, to raise enrolment and attendance rates.
After taking office in 2015, the APNU/AFC Government scrapped the project. The Irfaan Ali-led Government reintroduced the initiative after taking office last year.