Gov’t to Provide Additional Support for Back-to- School

The Government will shortly be announcing additional support for back-to-school activities across the island.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure at the quarterly press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister on August 3.

He said more resources will be placed in the back-to-school programme “to ensure that all our students are able to go back to school in a meaningful way”.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, recently announced that the Government is providing $3 million per constituency to support back-to-school initiatives.

The funds will be made available through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Additionally, through the CDF, the Government will be making available $1 million per constituency for events in celebration of Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence, as well as efforts to clean up local communities, and to host events at the community level.

“What was announced by the Minister of Finance specifically for back-to-school through the CDF is part of a general programme. There are other initiatives that we will announce in the coming days, which will see employment for persons who are presently unemployed, particularly in ensuring that in the Independence period, and so forth, that we have clean-up programmes going on,” the Prime Minister said.

“We will also ensure that our schools [have] the resources that they need to get back up very quickly, that those resources are up front in the budget. You’ll hear about more targeted programmes to ensure that those persons who are going to be doing the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), for example, that they are particularly supported,” Mr. Holness added.

The new academic year begins on September 4, 2023.