$53.8M cleared for hinterland school voucher distribution

– National Assembly hears

The National Assembly has cleared an additional $53,855,737 for the school uniform voucher distribution exercise for the hinterland schools at its 15^th Sitting on Monday.

This sum covers an additional amount expended, which was not covered under the $71,768,000 allocated to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs in the 2020 Emergency Budget.

Minister, Hon. Pauline Sukhai told the Assembly that the earlier provision covered the period January to September, while the supplementary fund would cover from October to December.

“I would like to repeat that this sum is bringing up to level for hinterland students to enjoy the same amount of support as other students would have been receiving as assistance.”

A total of 31,055 hinterland students have benefited from the programme to date.

The Government, in the Emergency Budget 2020, doubled the voucher to $4,000 per child in the public school system to help parents provide the necessary supplies for their children’s education.

“All the schools in Regions Seven, Eight and Nine with the exception of Bartica Secondary School, have received the $4,000 school uniforms assistance that is provided by the Government. Bartica, I must add, usually collect uniform voucher under the Ministry of Education,” Minister Sukhai told the Assembly.

Since the commencement of the distribution exercise, she said, 3,965 nursey school students have benefited. In Region One, 833 students; in Region Seven, 569; in Region Eight, 751 and in Region Nine, 1,812 have received the vouchers.

Meanwhile at the primary level, 18,267 students have received theirs. These are as follows: Region One, 7,719; in Region Seven, 2,110; in Region Eight, 2,224 and in Region Nine, 6214.

A total of 7, 823 secondary students in the hinterland have also received theirs.  The breakdown is as follows: Region One, 3,329; Region Seven, 562; Region Eight, 1,369 and Region Nine, 2, 563.

The voucher programme is one way the Government and the Ministry of Education is ensuring the nation’s children have access to education. Coastal distribution is captured under the Education Ministry while hinterland distribution is covered by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry. Despite the pandemic and the closure of classroom instruction for most students, the vouchers were dispatched to help parents procure supplies for children to remain engaged in education while at home and for the eventual reopening of all schools.