The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information has allocated $9.3 billion in grants to secondary schools for the academic year 2021/2022. The amount is being paid in four tranches, with the first disbursement made in June 2021.
Allocation of the funds is to ensure that schools are equipped with the necessary infrastructure and resources and is in keeping with the Ministry’s long-term goal of ensuring access, equity, and quality education for all.
The Ministry, in a bulletin, informed that the regular grant in the amount of $17,000 per pupil will be paid directly from the central Ministry.
Also, access these related scholarship secondary schools opportunities:
- Tufton Assures Barry Wint Scholarship Applicants, ‘No Need To Worry’
- St. Mary Education Trust invests in St Mary’s youth with over $3 million in scholarships
- Scholarships from North Street United Education Development Foundation
- National Rums launches charity, funds $1million in STEM scholarships
- 24 KC, C’bar students benefit from David Wagga Hunt Scholarship
The allocation also includes maintenance funding in the sum of $88.5 million at a rate of $500,000 per school, and nutritional grant for Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) students in the amount of $2.1 billion, with $150 provided per pupil, per day.
Tablets/laptops will be provided for PATH students at the upper secondary level (grades 10 to 13) as well as students at the lower secondary level (grades seven to nine) in the amount of $755 million.
In addition, funding for critical repairs in the amount of $1.1 billion has been allocated to select secondary-level schools. These schools have already been advised and procurement activities are in progress.
Programmes of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) and City and Guilds will be supported in the amount of $750 million, while select secondary schools will receive an amount for apprenticeship initiatives.
In addition, a total of 130 schools will receive $2.3 million each under the Rural Transportation Programme.
Educational resources will be provided to students under the National Textbook Loan Scheme and the Secondary Textbook Programme, to include electronic resources such as e-books.
Schools will also receive textbooks for English language and the sciences at a cost of approximately $200 million.
Source: Jamaica Information Service – $9.3 Billion In Grants Allocated To Secondary Schools For 2021/2022.
