Parents of students attending public schools have been relieved of the stress of meeting payments for facility fees for the academic year.

Prime Minister Hon. Philip J Pierre in assuming office July 26, 2021 vowed that his administration in adopting a people focused agenda, would absorb the cost of facility fees for all students at the primary and secondary levels.

On Thursday 21 October 2021, the Ministry of Education presented Principals with cheque payments totaling 2.6 million dollars. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Senator Honourable Dr Pauline Antoine Prospere told the ceremony that “this gesture is indicative of a Government that cares about children; committed to assisting parents with the education of their children. And a Government committed to easing the burden of finding resources for the daily operations of schools for Principals. I was a school Principal for seventeen (17) years and I know the challenges of parents. I watched in the faces of parents when school reopened and some of them would tell you, Miss I have bought the books, shoes, I don’t have money for the facility fees. So parents have been suffering”.

Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Honourable Shawn Edward noted that the learning environment must be comfortable to be effective. In reiterating Government’s commitment to improving the lives of nationals, the Minister underscored the cost involved in delivering quality education. And as such, called for partnerships in sharing that cost. “There are countries in the world from the time you are born to the time you graduate out of University, you do not pay a cent. The State absorbs that cost because they have the capacity to do so. We are not yet there. And as small a step this might be this morning for the Government to be paying facility fees on behalf of the children of this country I want to let you know that this is the direction in which we are heading. This is where we want to be.  Maybe it may not happen as quickly as we want because of some of the financial constraints we have as a country but I must let you know that the objective and ultimate goal is to be in a position one day where as a country we can provide quality education to the children of our country at absolutely no cost to the parents or families from which the children come”.

The Education Minister also informed that the Government promised payment of CSEC fees for the subjects of Mathematics and English will be met at the next sitting of the examination. “ We are at a very advanced stage where that is concerned and I can tell you that the memo that will be deliberated on at the level of Cabinet in terms of the modalities that we use to make the monies available has already been prepared. There is a lot more we want to do and will be doing for the education sector but we can not do it on our own. Stakeholders must be part of the process”.

The payout of the facility fees comes as the Ministry oversees the phased reopening of Schools on Monday 25th October 2021.

Key grade levels will resume in this first instance and include Kindergarten, Grade Six (6) and Forms Four (4) and Five (5). The reopening of special education schools has been postponed and a pronouncement on the new date will be made in the coming week.

The Ministry also wishes to inform that the School Feeding Programme and Transportation Subsidy Programme will also resume on Monday October 25, 2021. Parents and guardians of students who are currently assigned to the Transportation Subsidy Programme are asked to note that students will continue with the same drivers as the last academic year.

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