Castries, Saint Lucia – To promote education among the children of Saint Lucia, the government has decided to increase the financial support which is given to the preschoolers.
The move is aimed at reducing the financial burden of the families due to which some of the children were missing out on early education in the country.
This announcement has been made by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre under which the government will be supplementing a sum of $50 for over 3400 preschoolers enrolled in private schools. This amount will be paid towards the school fee for the entire session of 2014 and 25.
The government has set aside a sum of $170,000 for providing the school fee of the preschoolers.
The Prime Minister said that early education was essential for the children to lay a strong foundation and the government wanted to ensure that no child in the nation remained bereft of quality education. Besides, the government also wanted to ensure that education was accessible for all, the Prime Minister said.
The government is also providing a lump sum grant of $2,500 to as many as 93 students who have been registered for childhood schools across the nation. These funds have been provided so that parents can purchase essential school supplies for the current academic year.
The Prime Minister said that in order to create a conducive learning environment in the schools, the government has sanctioned a sum of $22.5 million under which special projects will be initiated for restoration and renovation of the existing infrastructure in all the 16 public schools in Saint Lucia.
He said that the government wanted to create safe and comfortable places for the students where they can learn and grow.
Saint Lucia is also decided to offer special technical courses through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions where the young adults can learn various skills and become job ready.
Under this plan the government will convert Stanley Jon Odlum Secondary School into Institute of Arts, Media, and Design, while Grande Riviere Secondary School will be converted into Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Culinary Arts, and Entrepreneurial Services. The Anse Ger Secondary School will become the Institute for Engineering and Technology and the Piaye Secondary School will be converted into the Institute of Construction and Heritage.
The students of Saint Lucia will be able to gain practical training and skills at these institutions and will be able to secure jobs in their chosen field.
The government has also provided financing options for students who wish to pursue higher education but our unable to do so due to monetary constraints. The finance for higher education will be provided by Saint Lucia Development Bank and will benefit a large number of students who despite being meritorious are unable to pursue their higher education due to financial challenges. Student seeking these loans do not need to provide any collateral to the bank as the Saint Lucia government has guaranteed the repayment of the loan amount.
The government has also decided to reinstate it’s policy of providing one laptop per child under which every student pursuing his/her secondary education will receive a new laptop which will enable the students to grasp the nitty-gritties of digital technology.
The government has also established as many as 20 smart classrooms since July 2021 to provide audio visual support that can enhance the capabilities of teaching as well as learning.
