Member of Parliament, Hon Juretha Fernandes, has scolded the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime for its recent decision to add unwarranted conditions to the distribution of children’s Cash Grants. “Money was budgeted for every child and approved in the National Assembly without conditionality and should not be subjected to any conditions,” by the PPP, Fernandes asserted.
The Ministry of Education has indicated that parents must pay for any textbooks that are not returned before they can receive their cash grants. This “heartless decision” totally ignores the plight of families who are struggling to cover basic expenses. “The aim should never be to further punish the poor,” Fernandes further stated.
In addressing the need to have textbooks returned, Fernandes reminded the PPP that “School children already have a system that they can’t uplift results without returning books.” This makes the newly issued policy redundant and unnecessary.
One heartbroken mother complained that the textbooks issued to her children were destroyed when her landlord evicted her by throwing her belongings onto the roadside after she lost her job. Now struggling to put her life back together, she was depending on the cash grant to cover much-needed school clothes and materials for her children. She cannot return or afford to pay for the lost books. What must she do?
More, In The Ring.
