DLP criticises textbook grant rollout and claim process

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has criticised how the government is managing the process of distributing its $100 textbook vouchers for primary school students.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, DLP Assistant General Secretary Pedro Shepherd, a former president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) said the announcement of the grant on August 11 came too late and the process for parents to claim it is too complicated.

“Schools were already on holiday and parents/guardians had already purchased their books. There was obviously no real thought given to how this initiative could be executed efficiently. The confusion of headteachers and other education officials who were bombarded with queries bears testimony to yet another hot and sweaty move,” he said.

Shepherd contended that “this new arrangement of sourcing three-month-old book receipts as announced by Minister [of Education Kay] McConney will go nowhere in serving its purpose in light of all the requirements”.  

“The process as outlined, and the expected delays in processing claims will only seek to frustrate many parents who will not get their reimbursement before 2024,” he said.

Parents and guardians have been advised to submit claim forms available online at the websites of the Ministry of Education, the Government Information Service and the Media Resources Department, along with receipts from textbook purchases. 

However, McConney has said that those who are unable to produce receipts as required because they were either faded, damaged, discarded or lost would be accommodated through a process that required verification from students’ schools.

Meanwhile, Shepherd suggested that the grant should first have been rolled out for reception and nursery students on registration at the island’s schools, and then extended to the rest of the primary school population for September 2024. 

(PR/BT)