THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1982
2.
SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR PUPILS
THE GOVERNMENT WILL ASSISTANCE SCHEME IN THE PURCHASE TEXTBOOKS.
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INTRODUCE A NEW SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS
COMING SCHOOL YEAR TO HELP NEEDY STUDENTS
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY IT WAS EXPECTED THAT OVER 180 000 STUDENTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE SCHEME WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO COST THE GOVERNMENT MORE THAN $37 MILLION FOR THE 1982-1983 SCHOOL YEAR.
UNDER THE NEW SCHEME, THE GOVERNMENT WILL PAY, VIA BANK AUTOPAY SYSTEMS, A CASH GRANT TO THE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF ELIGIBLE PUPILS STUDYING IN PRIMARY AND JUNIOR SECONDARY CLASSES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS, AND THOSE OCCUPYING BOUGHT PLACES IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID A FULL GRANT WOULD BE $135 PER PUPIL PER ANNUM FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS AND $325 PER PUPIL PER ANNUM FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS.
SCHOOLS MAY AWARD FULL OR HALF GRANTS BASED ON A POINTS SYSTEM GIVEN IN A TEXTBOOKS ASSISTANCE RECKONER.
THEY MAY AWARD THEM TO ELIGIBLE PUPILS UP TO 25 PER CENT OF THE IR ACTUAL TOTAL ENROLMENT.
FOR SCHOOLS WITH BOUGHT PLACES, THE CEILING IS CALCULATED AT 25 PER CENT OF THE NUMBER OF BOUGHT PLACES IN THE CLASSES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT HEADS OF SCHOOLS MIGHT AT THE IR DISCRETION ALSO AWARD GRANTS FOR CASES OF EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVING HARDSHIP NOT COVERED BY THE RECKONER,
+THESE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS, HOWEVER, WILL HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE SCHOOL'S OVERALL 25 PER CENT ENTITLEMENT AND ARE SUBJECT TO AN OVERALL MAXIMUM NUMBER CALCULATED AT THE RATE OF THREE FULL GRANTS PER CLASS, + HE SAID.
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS MAY, IN EXCEPTIONAL CASES, SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO AWARD AN ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF GRANTS OVER THE 25 PER CENT CEILING, PROVIDED THERE ARE +SAVINGS+ RESULTING FROM SOME SCHOOLS NOT TAKING UP THEIR FULL QUOTA.
PUPILS WHO WISH TO BENEFIT FROM THE SCHEME CAN APPLY THROUGH THE IR SCHOOLS USING A STANDARDISED FORM TO BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS.
THE CUT-OFF DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS OCTOBER 15, 1982 FOR THE 1982-1983 SCHOOL YEAR.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO DREW THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC TO THE WORK OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPLIES WHICH DEALS WITH ALL COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PRICES OF TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER SCHOOL ITEMS.
THE COMMITTEE,