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Thursday, October 9, 2008 – In 2006, the Government proposed to
restore the transportation subsidy to secondary school students. The rationale
was based on the implementation of Universal Secondary Education (USE) which
increased access to secondary education all over the island. As of November
2008, a total of seventeen (17) schools; two thousand five hundred (2,500
students); one hundred and fifty-four (154) bus drivers will participate in the
programme'. Irrespective of location and/or distance, each student on the
programme contributes $20 monthly.
While Universal Secondary spaces came to full realization in 2007, several
students had and have not been able to maximize the opportunity. The sad reality
is that in practice approximately 32% of our students have failed to take
advantage of the opportunities. Primary school and secondary school attendance
is 87% and 89% daily, respectively.
Between 2004 to 2006, school; drop-out rates at the secondary school level
almost doubled. Literacy and numeracy levels, student regularity, punctuality,
and school drop-outs remain major concerns. With increased efforts by the
Ministry of Education to make Universal Secondary Education accessible to all
students, the Ministry deems it imperative to ensure that the less privileged
students receive the necessary support to access and participate in the
education process.
In addition to the existing student support programmes such as expansion of the
school feeding, textbook rental, bursaries, and counselling services, the
Ministry of Education and Culture is pleased to announce the expansion of the
School Transportation Subsidy for the benefit of less privileged and
marginalized students at the Secondary Schools.
In October 2007, Phase one of the programme was introduced at eleven schools,
namely: Babonneau Secondary School, Gros-Islet Secondary School, George Charles
Secondary, Marigot Secondary, Grande Riviere Secondary, Clendon Mason Secondary
School, Mliicoud Secondary, Anse Ger Secondary, Piaye Secondary, Vieux Fort
Technical Secondary and Soufriere Comprehensive.
This subsidy programme continues to be a high priority area for the Ministry of
Education and by extension, the government of St. Lucia.
The second phase of the programme will therefore be implemented as of November
01, 2008 to include Six (6) additional secondary schools namely: Vieux Fort
Comprehensive Campus A, Vieux Fort Comprehensive Campus B, Vieux Fort Special
Education Centre, Choiseul Secondary, Bocage Secondary and the Corinth Secondary
School. Education Officers, Principals, Bursars and Bus drivers on the programme
are invited to a meeting on Sunday 12th October from 10:00 am at the Marigot
Secondary School. At this meeting, matters pertaining to contracts, payments,
level of efficiency, participation of students, oversights, status of the
relationship/co-operation among parents, drivers, students, principal and staff
of the schools will be discussed.
The Ministry of Education and Culture looks forward to the full co-operation of
all participants to ensure the successful operation of this subsidized
transportation system - the main purpose of which is to maximize access to
secondary school education for the marginalized and disadvantaged. Saint Lucia
joins regional counterparts such as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago,
Grenada and also developed countries of Canada and the United States in offering
such a programme.
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