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SunDAY, december 13, 2015
guyanatimesgy.com
News
Hinterland students still to receive 2015 uniform vouchers – Teixeira
– Govt reportedly plans to replace voucher with distribution of shoes
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tudents in several hinterland regions are still to receive their 2015 School’s Uniform Vouchers, which were expected to be issued since the commencement of the new school year in September. This was what People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) executive member Gail Teixeira is claiming. Teixeira, who recently visited Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) said this was among a list of concerns brought to her attention by residents there. She added there is a similar situation in at least two other interior regions. “We have done a check in the interior – Regions One (Barima-Waini), [Region] Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo) so far and no school uniform vouchers have been distributed to any of the schools for the children in those regions,” Teixeira told a news conference on Thursday. Teixeira said she was informed that the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government is planning to replace the
Teixeira said that even with this, there is still a cloud of confusion regarding the so-called footwear distribution programme the government is seeking to initiate. “This development that we are now hearing about that the school children are being measured at each school to see what the size of their feet are, we are not sure if this is for 2016 school voucher programme or this is for 2015 school voucher programme, because as
Region Nine; nursery, primary or secondary; none of the schools in Region One; and none of the schools in Region Eight have received any vouchers whatsoever,” she stated. Meanwhile, efforts to contact Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine for a response proved futile, as calls to his mobile phone went unanswered. In 2013, the then PPP/C Government launched the National School Uniform Programme, which benefit-
PPP/C Executive Member Gail Teixeira
voucher programme with the distribution of footwear for students. “There is a new development and that is, apparently the government is changing its position and saying they won’t be giving the School Uniform Vouchers, they will be giving children school shoes and so schools in Region Nine, teachers are asked to measure each child’s foot to determine what size shoe they will require. Now this is a logistical nightmare of no mean order,” she stated.
Students in several hinterland regions are still to receive their 2015 School’s Uniform Vouchers
it is, none of the schools in
ed over 139,000 school-aged children, each of whom received a $1500 voucher which was redeemable at a number of businesses across the country. The programme saw $208 million being expended. This was launched alongside the $1 billion National School Feeding Programme; both aimed at increasing attendance, especially among the poor and vulnerable. These programmes were expanded in 2014 and the then government added a $10,000 ‘Because We Care’ cash grant where every child in the public school system received the grant, which was aimed at assisting them with transportation costs, among others. However, in 2015, the APNU/AFC Administration which assumed office back in May, scrapped the $10,000 cash grant initiative and increase the uniform voucher to $2000.
Forgive criminals… even if they know what they do
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atiricus knew change had truly come when Pressie announced the pardon of 60 youths convicted of various crimes. “Boys will be boys,” he said. Confronted by runaway crime, the last Pee-and-See Presi-dent, Hyte, had announced the policy of “HANG ‘EM HIGH!!” So what if that policy stopped “kick-down-the-door bandits” cold in their tracks? That was then and now was now. And now was a time for forgiveness. Satiricus was impressed by Pressie’s generosity and felt that some of the victims were quite churlish for protesting his decision. It was just their phones that had been stolen, wasn't it? It’s not as if anyone was killed when their phones were grabbed. All of these thoughts flashed through Satiricus’ simple mind when over the weekend Pressie took his “turn the other cheek” policy to new heights. After two armed bandits exchanged gunfire with police while caught in the act of committing an armed robbery on a middle-class couple in their home, the police eventually shot and killed the bandits. Asked about this and other police killings in similar circumstances, according to the “new” Chronic, Pressie announced his new “BRING THEM IN” policy. As far as Satiricus could gather, this was an expansion of the “Pardon Boys who will be boys” doctrine. In the “BRING THEM IN” corollary, the cheek should be turned even when grown criminals were de-ploying deadly force against the police. After Satiricus thought about the policy for a while, he rea-soned Pressie knew the force deployed couldn't have been “deadly” until a policeman was shot dead. You can't have “deadly force” without death, can you? Pressie was so forward thinking. But then Satiricus became confused once again. Pressie said he’d be scrapping all the present anticrime plans and going back to the one the British had drawn up back in 2008. This meant throwing out all the 15+13 Point Plans the PPCEE government had introduced and even the one by Rum Jhaat. “The 4am curfew was just genius,” marvelled Satiricus. But wasn't 2008 when all those massacres had been committed by bandits and the British had just es-tablished a new SWAT team that was to be killed by Feel-its? Did that plan encompass the “BRING THEM IN” doctrine? “Not to worry”, smiled Satiricus, “Happy days are here again! At least criminals will be happy… and or-dinary victim-folks should follow Pressie and be happy for them.” And if everyone's happy, what's the problem?