Schools create bank accounts as $3.7B in school grants distributed last year

Dozens of schools have streamlined the distribution of school grants by opening bank accounts, ensuring funds are transferred efficiently and securely.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand revealed this at a recent press conference. Manickchand revealed that over the past year, $3.7 billion has been disbursed to schools, easing the financial burden on teachers who previously had to purchase classroom materials like chalk and teaching aids out of pocket.

“We have asked schools to open bank accounts so we go to the bank and at the click of the finger we send off these grants to more than 500 of our schools without having to walk around with cash and share it out,” Manickchand said.

Hinterland schools receive $5,500 per student, while coastal schools are allocated $4,500 per student. In hinterland areas with smaller student populations, a minimum of $220,000 was provided to the school.

“There is no longer any need to give a list to parents and there is no longer any need for teachers to go into their pockets and expend for resources in the classroom.”

However, the Minister highlighted some challenges, such as electrical overloads from the purchase of electrical equipment.

“In fact while this was a really good initiative and meant to do everything good, what started happening is schools, transformers started blowing because the schools were buying too many electrical items that couldn’t be taken off by the capacity of the current electrical capacity in the buildings,” Manickchand explained.