Govt rolls out cash grant to aid teachers in maintaining classrooms 

The Education Ministry on Friday commenced the distribution of grants to a number of schools, allowing teachers to prepare and maintain their classrooms by purchasing the janitorial, office, and field supplies that they need.
“Over the years, teachers have complained to us bitterly that they have always had to spend their resources to get classrooms ready, whether it was using cardboard and making aids on the wall or buying bleach and toilet paper,” Education Minister Priya Manickchand explained.
“Parents have also complained to us that they were being asked repeatedly to provide goods and other items to the classrooms for their children’s learning,” Manickchand added.
In an effort to alleviate this stress, this new initiative will see teachers on the coastline receiving $4000 per child and those on the hinterland receiving $5500 per child.

“So, for a classroom of 30 children on the coastland, the teacher is going to get $120,000 per term to buy whatever she wants to buy, in the lines of janitorial, field, and office,” Manickchand said.
“In the hinterland, it is going to be $5500 per child because things are more expensive – transportation costs and so on. And so, a class of 30 on the hinterland would be $165,000 that the teacher is getting for a term for the preparation of the classroom,” Manickchand said.
The Education Minister noted that the teachers will have a wide latitude over what they buy and are not necessarily expected to conform to the lists the Ministry provides.
“We know some of the generic things that are needed – cardboard, chalk, Play-Doh, markers, crayons, and cleaning supplies. But we also know that while we are providing lists of what can be bought, those are not exhaustive, because if we have innovative teachers – which is what we want – then I expect to see other things added to that list,” Manickchand said.
This direct cash grant to teachers came after a series of consultations with teachers and parents, as well as a number of lessons learned over previous experiences in which grants were distributed differently.
“Over the years, some regions gave a grant to schools, where the schools were allowed to go and buy whatever they thought they needed with the grant, and some regions bought in bulk for their various schools,” the Minister added.
“One, teachers complained that they got things that they didn’t need [and] it wasn’t unique to the classroom and what classrooms need and two, because of the procurement processes that have to be engaged when buying in bulk, these goods took really, really long to get into classrooms.”
On Friday, Minister Manickchand initiated the rollout of these grants in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) at Den Amstel Nursery and Primary Schools, Windsor Forest Primary School and Good Fortuin Primary School.