Education Ministry distributes $20Mn in its School Supplies and Book Grant programme

Some $20 Million has been disbursed in the Ministry of Education’s School Supplies and Book Grant Programme, the Ministry is reporting.

“This amount has been allocated for both direct deposit transactions to banks and cheque collections,” the Ministry said in an official statement.

It said a total of 26,967 applications were received, while the number of applications approved—during the qualifying and verification process—were 23,345.

According to the Ministry, the initiative was designed “to address the financial challenges faced by parents/guardians in acquiring essential supplies, for the successful commencement of the students’ academic year.”

The application process for the School Supplies and Book Grant programme commenced on April 9 and closed on April 26, 2024. The Ministry subsequently extended the deadline to April 30, 2024. 

The Ministry admitted that “several challenges impacted the payment process”, as it sought to complete payments for outstanding applicants.

“Issues such as incorrect bank account number, closed accounts, and multiple children being listed on a single application form, contrary to the instructions requiring separate forms for each child,” the statement noted.

“Additionally, payments were returned to the MOE due to incorrect banking information.  MOE staff have encountered difficulties in reaching some applicants via emails and phone calls to verify necessary details required, therefore, these persons were not able to be facilitated before the closure of the processing period,” the Ministry revealed.

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