-Parag urges parents to check schedule
Parents across Guyana are being urged to turn out according to the schedule set for their children’s schools as the distribution of the government’s Because We Care cash grant begins today.
In a video message posted to her Facebook page yesterday, Minister of Education Sonia Parag said all systems were in place to facilitate the countrywide exercise, which will see parents of children enrolled in both public and private schools receiving a total of $85,000 per child.
“A special hello to all our lovely parents, hoping that you’re having a very relaxing Sunday afternoon,” Parag said before encouraging parents to attend the distribution at their respective schools.
“This cash grant is going to be $60,000 this year, together with a uniform grant of $5,000 and the newly introduced transportation grant of $20,000, amounting to $85,000 per child,” she said.
The minister reminded parents to check the distribution schedule for their children’s schools and to attend on the designated day during the week-long exercise.
“So parents, I hope you know the schedule for your child’s school and that you will be present there, whether it’s tomorrow or the other days, which will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and ensure that you show up there,” she said.
According to Parag, the grants are intended to assist families in preparing children for the new academic year in September.
“I know that this is going to be of great benefit to you because you want your child or children to be in a position to attend school. In September, this is going to assist them with whatever they need to get back to school, to be properly prepared for school,” she said.
Parag also assured parents that the ministry has made extensive preparations to ensure the process proceeds smoothly.
She said she would personally visit several schools during the distribution exercise, along with other government ministers.
“I, myself, am going to be at several schools, as well as other ministers. We have teams on the ground right now in every region, preparing to ensure that we have a seamless process,” she said.
The minister first announced the June 29 start date for the nationwide distribution during a consultation earlier this month in Region Five on the development of Guyana’s Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy for Schools.
The increase in the Because We Care grant and the introduction of the transportation grant were announced during the presentation of the 2026 national budget in January by Dr Ashni Singh, Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance.
During his budget presentation, Singh said the Because We Care grant had been progressively increased since the government took office in 2020, moving from $10,000 when it was first introduced in 2014 to $50,000 in 2025 and now to $60,000.
He said the increase would benefit approximately 206,000 children enrolled in public and private schools and inject an additional $2 billion into households, bringing the total annual transfer under the Because We Care programme to an estimated $12.4 billion.
Singh also announced the introduction of the annual transportation support grant of $20,000 per child, fulfilling a government manifesto commitment and providing an additional $4.1 billion in disposable income to parents.
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