M.O.E. Begins Handouts of School Subsidy Countrywide
The Ministry of Education handed out close to three hundred thousand dollars in education subsidies for four-hundred and thirty-nine students in Rural Belize and four-hundred and ninety-six students in Belize City. The three hundred dollar subsidies will go towards high-school education for the newly graduated standard six students. For the past nine-years, the Ministry of Education began subsidy programme in the Stann Creek and Toledo districts, but today Minister of Education Patrick Faber announced that Corozal will also join the two southern districts in the subsidy programme. Faber was joined by four area representatives today at the Civic Center to distribute two-hundred eighty thousand and five hundred dollars worth subsidies for all students in rural Belize and the qualifying students in the city.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“Our goal is to get all of you who are in primary school to high school. We said let us look at what else we can do, let us see how we can stretch the money and we decided that we were going to offer the subsidy to rural areas; those hardship communities that were in rural areas. But then I made an error somewhere down the line in a speech that was televised and put all over the television and the radio that it would be given to all rural areas. Then I realized that I could not take that back. I couldn’t say it was an error. So, today we are pleased that during the course of this week, we will deliver subsidy tickets to all rural schools across this country. And today we begin with the Belize district. Today, we are giving subsidy tickets to thirteen of our schools five on the north side and eight on the Southside in Belize City. Every child in these schools that are in standard school will receive the subsidy tickets. Isn’t that great news?”
Edmond Castro
Edmond Castro, Area Rep, Belize Rural North
“For a very long time I have been lobbying with my Cabinet colleagues, including the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister that Belize Rural needs help and so this year we are fortunate that Minister of Education and Prime Minister decided that all rural primary schools, all the children who wish to attend high school, will be able to get the three hundred dollars, so all students in Belize Rural North will be going into high school; all four-hundred-and-twenty-two students.”
Andrea Polanco
“I imagine it is something being welcomed by parents?”
Edmond Castro
“Very much welcome and also by the area representative. Because in the past some of the students never qualified and so as the area representative we would have to try and find extra money to help them to go to school.”
Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez
Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, Area Rep, Port Loyola
“It is very welcoming on behalf of the Government. I think, especially Muslim school., one of the only schools in my area and I think that a lot of poor children go to that school and so I am very happy and thankful to Government for helping the students.”
The Ministry of Education will be travelling to Corozal and Orange Walk on Wednesday. They will visit Cayo on Thursday and on Friday they head south to Stann Creek and Toledo to distribute subsidy certificates to all qualifying standard six students.
