THE Ministry of Education commenced the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant to parents of students of secondary schools in Georgetown, and some $67M were distributed at ten centres.At some of the schools on the West Bank of Demerara — Versailles Primary, Goed Fortuin Nursery and the Shirley Field Ridley Nursery schools, parents gathered to uplift their grant from the Government were treated to

steelband music, two renditions from the West Demerara Secondary School Choir and a song from the pupils of the Goed Fortuin Nursery School, called “Carry your Candle.”

During brief remarks, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand informed the large gathering of the tremendous success the MoE has had in distribution of the grant thus far. She noted that the MoE has almost completed the distribution, and that the parents being served at the West Demerara Secondary School represent the final recipients in Region Three.

Minister Manickchand noted that while some persons have said that the Ministry should be giving parents more than $10,000, “it is really meant to supplement your families’ income.”
“We know that it would not meet all your needs, but it will certainly meet some of your needs, and it will certainly be more than you could have met last year,” she added.

Members of the public have expressed concerns that some parents would inappropriately utilise the Government’s ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, and have opined that the grant should have been given only to selected families, or perhaps similar processes as those that obtained in the Uniform Voucher programme should have been used.

Minister Manickchand has, however, said that while the concerns are legitimate, the Government had to consider the many other parents who would welcome the additional finances to help their children.

The Education Minister reiterated her admonition to parents to continue to invest in their children, and to make the necessary sacrifices so that their children can become adults who can meaningfully contribute to Guyana and the world.

“Our duty as adults, as a Government, is to ensure that our children have the opportunities we never had, what we couldn’t do…,” she said.

The ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant programme was launched on October 11, 2014 in Bartica. More than 55 public consultations were held, at which it was examined whether parents would prefer to be able to receive cash or exchange a voucher for goods in the manner that the uniform voucher programme is currently operated; and if encashing were the preferred option, which service would parents prefer to use to be able to encash their vouchers.

Choices ranged from the commercial banks to Mobile Money to Western Union/Bill Express to the Post Office to Moneygram.

Almost unanimously, parents chose to receive cash as opposed to goods, and an overwhelming majority chose to be able to en-cash at Western Union/Bill Express money services. Where geographically there is a limitation of financial services, different arrangements shall be made.

Distribution continued at 11 locations in Georgetown on Saturday, November 8, which completed the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant vouchers in Georgetown. Parents are reminded that vouchers should be en-cashed at any Western Union Office before November 30.

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/11/08/its-our-duty-to-give-our-children-better-opportunities

— says Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

THE Ministry of Education commenced the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant to parents of students of secondary schools in Georgetown, and some $67M were distributed at ten centres.At some of the schools on the West Bank of Demerara — Versailles Primary, Goed Fortuin Nursery and the Shirley Field Ridley Nursery schools, parents gathered to uplift their grant from the Government were treated to steelband music, two renditions from the West Demerara Secondary School Choir and a song from the pupils of the Goed Fortuin Nursery School, called “Carry your Candle.”

During brief remarks, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand informed the large gathering of the tremendous success the MoE has had in distribution of the grant thus far. She noted that the MoE has almost completed the distribution, and that the parents being served at the West Demerara Secondary School represent the final recipients in Region Three.

Minister Manickchand noted that while some persons have said that the Ministry should be giving parents more than $10,000, “it is really meant to supplement your families’ income.”
“We know that it would not meet all your needs, but it will certainly meet some of your needs, and it will certainly be more than you could have met last year,” she added.

Members of the public have expressed concerns that some parents would inappropriately utilise the Government’s ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, and have opined that the grant should have been given only to selected families, or perhaps similar processes as those that obtained in the Uniform Voucher programme should have been used.

Minister Manickchand has, however, said that while the concerns are legitimate, the Government had to consider the many other parents who would welcome the additional finances to help their children.

The Education Minister reiterated her admonition to parents to continue to invest in their children, and to make the necessary sacrifices so that their children can become adults who can meaningfully contribute to Guyana and the world.

“Our duty as adults, as a Government, is to ensure that our children have the opportunities we never had, what we couldn’t do…,” she said.

The ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant programme was launched on October 11, 2014 in Bartica. More than 55 public consultations were held, at which it was examined whether parents would prefer to be able to receive cash or exchange a voucher for goods in the manner that the uniform voucher programme is currently operated; and if encashing were the preferred option, which service would parents prefer to use to be able to encash their vouchers.

Choices ranged from the commercial banks to Mobile Money to Western Union/Bill Express to the Post Office to Moneygram.

Almost unanimously, parents chose to receive cash as opposed to goods, and an overwhelming majority chose to be able to en-cash at Western Union/Bill Express money services. Where geographically there is a limitation of financial services, different arrangements shall be made.

Distribution continued at 11 locations in Georgetown on Saturday, November 8, which completed the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 cash grant vouchers in Georgetown. Parents are reminded that vouchers should be en-cashed at any Western Union Office before November 30.

Source: (Rebecca Ganesh-Ally) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/11/08/its-our-duty-to-give-our-children-better-opportunities

Catering to public school children across the country, the inaugural “Because We Care” Cash Grant initiative commenced in early October but, according to the Ministry of Education, the process is nearing completion. This was outlined in a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry.

Amounting to $10,000 per child attending school at the level of nursery, primary and secondary, the grant was one that was intended to help ensure families are able to send their children to school.
According to the Ministry’s statement, distribution of the Cash Grant has been completed in most Regions of the country, and efforts are now being engaged to service the few remaining communities before the process culminates.
The Ministry also acknowledged that “there were a few hiccups along the way considering the magnitude of the task undertaken by the government through the Ministry of Education to deliver this $10,000 cash grant to parents of almost 200,000 children in the public school system.”
However, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, in her remarks to parents and guardians at the Covent Garden Secondary School, East Bank Demerara, noted that the past six weeks have been smooth. The Minister even shared her belief that the programme has been marked by order, civility and efficiency.
Minister Manickchand also reiterated that local statistics as well as international reports written about the country, show that Guyana is doing better as a country, and this is why the Government of Guyana can invest in giving parents the additional support, ”we are able to give $10,000 as a grant this year because our country is doing indisputably better, it is a fact… our economy is going better, we can better spread our resources and reinvest it back in you…we care about your families’ welfare.”
The ‘Because we Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant was distributed at 10 locations across the East Coast and the East Bank where approximately 7,671 children benefited yesterday which was in fact the final day for the distribution of the Grant in Region 4 (East Bank and East Coast). Georgetown is expected to be completed by the end of Saturday (November 8).
According to the Ministry, parents from the following Administrative Regions have received their Cash Grant Region 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and Region 10, and most of these regions are expected to be completed by the end of this week. The remaining Regions are expected to be serviced by November 23.
The Cash Grant 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 enrolment and attendance rates. This is in fact the first programme of its kind in the Caribbean and indeed anywhere else in this part of the world, where every public school child is entitled to this benefit.
Parents have until November 30, 2014, to encash their vouchers at any Western Union or Bill Express location.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/11/07/cash-grant-distribution-nearing-completion/

More than 13,000 children from the East Coast and the East Bank yesterday benefited from the Government of Guyana ‘Because we Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant.

Addressing a gathering of approximately 1,164 at the Diamond Secondary School yesterday, Minister of Education,
Priya Manickchand stated that when the Government of Guyana started planning for the Cash Grant Initiative in 2013, its main objective was to ensure that parents receive additional support to send their children to school. She noted that while the $10,000 is not meant to meet all the needs a family might have, it will certainly help some parents to materialize a few plans to efficiently help their children.
The Minister also noted that according to local statistics as well as international reports written about the country, Guyana is doing better as a country and this is why the Government of Guyana can invest in giving parents the additional support. “We are able to give $10,000 as a grant this year because we can do it economically and because we care about your families’ welfare.” She added that like other programmes implemented by the Government, the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant Initiative will grow. She made reference to the Uniform Programme, which was to provide assistance to only underprivileged children.
Currently, the Uniform Programme expanded to include every child in the public school system. Similar progress has been made in other programmes such as the School Feeding Programme.
In closing, the Minister of Education asked the parents to do more to ensure that their children succeed at school. She added that next year the Ministry is seriously considering applying a condition to the Cash Grant Programme where only children with a certain percentage of attendance at school will benefit.
The following schools were serviced at the Diamond Secondary School yesterday: Diamond Secondary, Grove Nursery, Diamond Primary, and the Special Needs School.
Parents have until November 30, 2014 to en-cash their vouchers at any Western Union or Bill Express location.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/11/06/130m-in-cash-grant-distributed-to-east-coast-east-bank-parents/

“Hard work produces success” is the firm conviction of Minister of Education,

Some of the top performers who were recently honoured by the Ministry of Education

Priya Manickchand. Her utterance was forthcoming as she addressed a gathering of education stakeholders at the National Cultural Centre recently. The Minister was at the time speaking of the outstanding national performers who were honoured last week at the 2014 National Education Awards ceremony.
And according to her, the outstanding performances that Guyana has been producing over the years have much to do with the efforts of teachers who are tasked with delivering quality education to the nation’s children. She underscored too that the delivery of education today is also done in an equitable manner.
The Minister in her deliberations therefore reflected on a time when only certain schools were regarded as ‘better than the rest’, a state of affairs that she insists has become a thing of the past.  In fact, in reflecting on a time when she attended primary level school, she disclosed that “I could have boasted that I came from the best primary school – Stella Maris.”
But the Minister in interacting with the education stakeholders was assured that Stella Maris is certainly not the best of all primary schools. She quickly conceded that like Stella Maris Primary and other primary schools, secondary schools as well across the country are performing well.  “There is no one best school anymore. When I went to school, all the children who got Queen’s College (and everybody used to fight to get Queen’s College because that was the premier school) came from Stella Maris and St Margaret’s, and you got a sprinkling from some other schools like St Gabriel’s and St Agnes, maybe one and two from St Angela’s…everybody else went to school in their Regions,” the Education Minister recounted.
In emphasising that “that’s not so anymore” the Minister noted that when the Ministry announces results, such as the National Grade Six Assessment, students listed among the top two per cent are no longer from the Georgetown schools alone.
“We are announcing children from Cropper in Region Six, Skeldon and Anna Regina and Suddie, and Leonora and Cornelia Ida, Linden, Arapaima in Region Nine…students from all over this country,” the Education Minister proudly asserted.
These top performing children, many of whom went to Queen’s College, also turned out to be the top performers too at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination. “This (Queen’s College) was ‘The School’…while they might want to argue that this is still ‘The School’, I would rather suspect that all of you in here will tell them not so,” the Minister told her attentive audience, whose reaction embraced her observation.
Moreover, the Minister went on to note that the top performers of the country today no longer hail from Queen’s College alone and they are able to secure “more (Grade) Ones than you can count.  These are students from Skeldon Line Path Secondary, Saraswati (Vidya Niketan) in Region Three, J. C. Chandisingh, and this year when we were announcing the results and we said Essequibo Islands Secondary there were people who asked ‘What! Where is that?’ This is somewhere in an island in the Essequibo…”
Added to this, the Minister noted that “we made an announcement that there was a child who came within the top students from North West Secondary. Do you know where that is on the map?” she questioned. She continued her deliberations by categorically pointing out that, that while schools that have been known to perform well, continue to perform well; they are now joined by other schools that have never been heard of before.
This the Minister attributed to the equity in the delivery of education.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/11/05/education-ministry-notes-increase-in-top-performing-schools/

Despite numerous criticisms that there is only a small number of students doing well, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand made it clear that although Guyana is faced with challenges it has been able to realise laudable results over the years.

And the challenges that Guyana has been faced with, the Minister asserted, are certainly not unique to Guyana.
“Every single country in the Caribbean has the same problems we have; every single country has problems getting large percentages in passes in Mathematics; every country does not do as well as they would like to do in English. Every country has problems attracting students to the Science field; every single country has some of the literacy problems we have,” said Minister Manickchand.
“We do hear critics who may be myopic and narrow in vision talking about our problems and we should never mask our problems. Many of our challenges that you hear, you hear first from us. You hear when we are unhappy with certain things in certain areas; you hear what we will do to fix those, to overcome those weaknesses…”
But the Minister noted that while the challenges may be universal, Guyana is able to stand out simply because “every country is not bringing home the kind of results that Guyana is bringing home. So that makes us stand tall in this Region and indeed the entire world…
“Even as we have the same problems our students are excelling; we have to be doing something right,” boasted the Education Minister.
The Minister, who was alluding to the top performers produced by the country, was at the time speaking at her Ministry’s National Awards Ceremony on Thursday last.
And the results obtained, according to her, could not have been possible without a collaborative effort. She highlighted not only the role of students and their parents but that of the teachers and Government which, according to her, “has a strong focus on education and how to make our people better…”
She said that because of Government’s many investments in education, schools that were doing well in the past are continuing to do well even as other schools “that were never heard of before” are joining the top performing institutions.
This, the Minister attributed to equity in the delivery of education across the country.
“When a service is given equitably all across this country, that is how you see children all over Guyana being able to strive and succeed and be the very best that they can be. We see how that has consistently produced results in our national and international exams.”
Guyana is, this year, able to celebrate four of its own who were able to perform exceptionally, not only at the national level, but also regionally. The Minister was at the time referring to the top performers of the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination who were also named among the top regional performers.
This year, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has awarded four of its eight top regional awards to Guyana. The top awards are Overall Outstanding Achievement, copped by Elisa Hamilton of Queen’s College; Most Outstanding in Humanities, Aliyyah Abdul Kadir of Queen’s College; Most Outstanding in Business Studies, Ryhan Chand also of Queen’s College; and Most Outstanding in Technical Vocational, Kishan Critchlow of New Amsterdam Multilateral School.
According to Minister Manickchand, Guyana has been able to top the Caribbean every year since 2006 with the exception of 2010.
CXC will on December 4, 2014, present the 2014 outstanding students with their awards at a ceremony to be held at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, Mona Campus, Jamaica.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/11/04/guyanas-achievements-linked-to-equity-in-education/

-Your children’s education should be your first priority—Minister Manickchand tells parents in Linden

MORE than 11,000 children from Linden on Friday benefited from the Government of Guayna ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant initiative.

Distribution of the vouchers started on Friday in Linden and some $110M were distributed to parents at twelve school-locations. Those locations included the Bamia Primary, MacKenzie Primary, Amelia’s Ward Primary, Coomacka Primary, Linden Foundation Secondary, Bay Rock Community Centre, New Silver City Secondary, Harmony Secondary and Wismar Hill Secondary.

Addressing parents at the Bay Rock Community Centre, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand implored parents to keep their children in school and be interested in their lives. Speaking as a parent, Ms. Manickchand posited that every parent wants what is best for his or her children. “What do we want for our children? We want to ensure that they can live a life that is better…, that they have more than you had, not just more things, but a richer, more comfortable life, foster and maintain better relationships…I am saying to you that more is possible for your children,” the Minister exhorted.

Parents applauded the recommendation that should the ‘Because we Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant initiative continue next year, it should be given on the condition that children attend school frequently, perhaps having an average percentage of attendance at school for a given school term. She admonished parents to use the grant wisely, “Your children’s education should be your first priority,” she noted.

“Guyana has a reason to be proud of this programme,” Manickchand noted, adding that it is the only country in the Caribbean, offering financial support to every child and not children selected based on economic or social conditions. She added that the ‘Because We Care’ $10,000 Cash Grant programme is another initiative aimed at giving parents additional support to equip their children for school.

Parents have until November 30, 2014 to en-cash their vouchers at any Western Union or Bill Express location.

EDUCATION Minister, Ms Priya Manickchand, Chief Education Officer Mr Olato Sam and other officials of the Ministry of Education yesterday joined the administration, staff and former students of Queen’s College in celebrating 170 years of its establishment.

Minister Manickchand, herself a former QC student, encouraged the management of the school to ensure that every child is given equal opportunity to optimise his or her learning potential.The Ministry of Education yesterday hosted a breakfast to mark the event at the Georgetown Club on Camp Street.

In acknowledging the number of success stories coming out of Queen’s College, the minister said that the school has the potential to continue to put out top students. “Every single child you get is a child worthy of topping the Caribbean, of leading our world… How we deal with them will determine whether or not they live up to their full potential…”, Minister Manickchand said, adding:
“Children coming out of QC must be academically sound, culturally conscious, and socially adaptable and cognizant of their duty to make a tangible contribution to the world.”

Several other matters were highlighted at the breakfast, including teachers’ commitment to their job; the continuous investment in maintaining the school’s infrastructure; and opportunities for additional support from the various alumni chapters across the world.

Queen’s College was established in 1844 as the Queen’s College Grammar School for boys by William Percy Austin, D.D., Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of then British Guiana. The school became co-educational in 1975

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/10/28/queens-college-celebrates-170-years

HUNDREDS of Guyanese residing in Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne) came out yesterday to receive their ‘Because We Care’ grant as the Education Ministry undertook a hectic distribution calendar at numerous locations where an estimated $19M was distributed. 

Parents yesterday from nursery, primary and secondary schools were seen assembling early at the different locations to receive their grant.

JC Chandisingh Secondary, Cropper Primary, Ankerville Nursery and Port Mourant Primary, among many others, were a few of the schools that started the distribution process.

SMOOTH DISTRIBUTION
Twelve distribution centres were set up to serve parents in Region 6, with the school’s name and the grades labeled to make the delivery process smooth and expeditious. Also very noticeable in the community were many teachers and head teachers who voluntarily attended the event to assist in whatever way they could.
The Guyana Chronicle took the opportunity to mingle and speak with parents and guardians receiving the grant, and they unanimously said that they were grateful, and expressed “sincerest thank you” to the Education Ministry and the Government of Guyana.
Ms Narine, who has eight children, noted: “This will help out; dem does walk to school, but I can buy things for dem to eat.” She also related that she tries her best to make sure all her children go to school, because, without an education, “we are nowhere.”
And a grandmother noted that she is currently raising her grandchild since both parents have deserted the child, and it was somewhat difficult for her to collect the grant but she is very grateful for the intervention of the Education Minister.
Regional Chairman for Region 6, Mr David Armogan who chaired the brief ceremony held at the JC Chandisingh Secondary auditorium, explained that the ‘Because We Care’ programme’ “was started in Berbice Friday last, and today we are here to roll out this programme in central Corentyne.” He further said that this programme was conceived by the Government to assist parents so that they can be able to have their children attend school regularly.

Meanwhile, during her address to the parents, Education Minister Priya Manickchand expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all the hardworking teachers and headteachers of the various schools. She noted that because the grant was being distributed on a Sunday, some teachers were not available to assist; but some from other schools, namely New Amsterdam, made themselves available to assist where it was necessary.
“Your mere presence here this morning shows your commitment to educate your children and to make them into sound citizens who will have a better future,” Minister Manickchand said, adding:
“This shows that we have good partners in you; and together we will make our children into adults who will excel and take our country forward.”
The Education Minister emphasised that persons should know that this is not a selective programme, as every child in the public system is entitled to this grant. “When the government delivers a service; when we in the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) deliver a service, we deliver to every single person across this country. Everybody gets an equal opportunity,” she said.
Minister Manickchand assured parents and guardians that the government and her ministry will continue to work hard to ensure that every child gets an education. “And this is a promise,” she said.

During the feature address, President Donald Ramotar emphasised that the programme was launched so that the government can assist parents in sending their children to school regularly.

PARENTAL INPUT

He reminded parents that providing money is only one way of assisting their children to achieve a good education, and advised that finding the time to sit with them when they are doing their homework or getting involved with the school and following their progress are other important ways of assisting.
The Head of State declared that this programme is a continuity of what the government has been doing since in office, and he added that the administration is convinced that “the most important factor in the country is our people and this is where our investments have been placed.”
“People are the most important factor for development, and we have been investing in our people throughout the years,” he said.
He noted that the government has invested in many projects to assist the children, namely the One Laptop Per Family programme, the school feeding programme, and the uniform grant, among others.

Ramotar also highlighted the need for certain infrastructure in the country, such as the Amaila Falls hydro project, the Specialty Hospital, the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the upgrading and establishment of airstrips in interior locations, all being crucial to the development of the country.
He also alluded to the fact that Guyana has achieved universal primary education and is on its way to achieve universal secondary education. And only recently the Education Ministry has embarked on equipping each student with textbooks in order to relieve parents of that cost.
The distribution was also attended by Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn and General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, all of whom assisted in Region 6 yesterday, where more than $18M was disbursed to parents of students in the public school system.

Source: (Rebecca Ganesh-Ally) http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/10/27/education-minister-commends-berbice-teachers-for-rising-to-the-occasion-as-govt-takesbecause-we-care-initiative-to-region-6

AS the Education Ministry continues to roll out the ‘Because We Care ‘cash grant initiative across the country, the distribution process took Georgetown by storm yesterday with approximately $128M being distributed. Nearly 4,564 parents of primary school students received their $10,000 vouchers at the National Park.

Parents started to assemble very early at the National Park so as to receive their grant. Yesterday saw parents from primary schools such as Stella Maris Primary, St. Margaret’s Primary, North Georgetown Primary, Winfer Gardens Primary, St. Angela’s Primary, St. Agnes Primary, David Rose for the H/capped.
Yesterday’s distribution is the largest of the eleven distribution centres set up to serve parents in the city and its immediate environs. Tents were erected with the school’s name and the grades labelled to make the delivery process smooth and expeditious, many teachers and Head Teachers took time out to attend this event to assist in the distribution.

“THE ONLY WAY WE CAN IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNITY; THE ONLY WAY WE CAN IMPROVE THIS REGION; THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE OUR COUNTRY BETTER; AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE YOUR CHILDREN’S LIVES BETTER, IS IF WE INVEST IN EDUCATING THEM.”-EDUCATION MINISTER

Some 8,315 persons were expected to have been serviced at the ten other distribution sites which included: Sophia Primary, Graham’s Hall Primary, St. Gabriel’s Primary, St. Ambrose Primary, West Ruimveldt Primary, Dolphin

Secondary, St. Pius Primary, F. E. Pollard Primary, Rama Krishna Primary, Enterprise Primary.
The Guyana Chronicle spoke with a few parents after they had collected their cash grant. A mother, who wishes to be anonymous, said that she is very grateful because she can now use this money to assist with meals and additional school items for her children. Another mother of three, Mrs Gonzales said that she is thankful for the grant and hopes that in time it increases since everything is so expensive these days.
Speaking also with a father, he noted that his children has everything for school but this grant will assist him “incase dem need anything else, you know how school is.”
Speaking briefly to parents and guardians that gathered for the distribution, Education Minister Priya Manickchand thanked the parents and guardians for taking the time to come to the National Park to uplift their cash grant. She noted that “with your presence here this morning” we know that your child or children is your priority.
She said that with this grant “we know that this is going to give you more capacity to look after your children and send them to school more frequently.”

“The only way we can improve your community; the only way we can improve this region; the only way we can make our country better; and the only way we can make your children’s lives better, is if we invest in educating them” the Education Minister said.
She however, asked parents to take note that the Ministry will now be monitoring the attendance of the children that have been given grants, to make

sure that they are attending classes regularly. “We are now considering seriously that from next year if a child or a family is going to get the grant, that child will have to have a certain attendance at school, so it means your children have to go to school frequently” she said.
Manickchand also thanked the teachers and head teachers that took time out to assist in the smooth flow of the distribution process. She also alluded that some $600M have already been cashed at Western Union and the campaign continues until November 21.
Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds in his address said that such national programmes like the ‘Because we Care’ cash grant is sigh of the Government’s commitment to our children and their education. He added that “education is the way of advancing our nation as a whole.”

Prime Minister Hinds encouraged parents to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments and sacrifices where necessary to help their children to take full advantage of the education provided to them by the government. he urged parents to take time out to spend quality time with their children, to assist with homework ‘because allocating monies to their education is only one part of the job’.

He also related that the government continues to spend a significant portion of the annual national budget on education services, supply of books, teacher training, information technology, access to education, and new programmes to provide assistance to parents to assist them get their children to school.

The Prime Minister cautioned the gathering to view the ‘Because we Care’ cash grant initiative as one that has harmonising effects. In his

response to the negative views expressed by some sections about the amount of taxes collected. The Prime Minister said: “Those who are better-off pay relatively more taxes… when we deliver services, we deliver services equally such as this one; delivering the same amount of money to every child all across the country.”
Distribution of the ‘Because we Care’ $10,000 grant vouchers will continue in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) tomorrow. Approximately $19M is expected to be distributed to parents there.

(By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2014/10/25/over-4500-georgetown-parents-receive-because-we-care-cash-grants-totalling-some-128m