CASTRIES, St Lucia – Following Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announcement on September 5, 2024, that the government of Saint Lucia will pay $50 toward school fees for over 2,500 children enrolled in privately-owned preschools for every month of the first term in the 2024/25 academic year; the office of the prime minister (OPM) on January 21, 2025, further announced: “ The government will pay $50 towards school fees for over 3,400 children enrolled in privately-owned preschools to cover expenses for the first term of the 2024/25 academic year.”
According to the OPM:
“Every dollar counts, especially for families living on a limited budget. Thus, the government is stepping in to support parents with preschool expenses. Preschools and Early Childhood Development centres form the foundation of our education sector. By committing more than $170,000 to support parents and guardians with preschool expenses, the government continues to ensure that our youngest learners have access to quality early childhood education services.”
The government of Saint Lucia 2024/2025 Early Childhood Education policy, previously noted:
“To ensure that our young generation is given the best possible start nine state-of-the-art early childhood (Pre-K) classrooms have been commissioned, and we intend to construct more classrooms primarily in marginalised communities. Work is progressing on the Patience Early Childhood Centre.”
“The community after-school programme has been reinstated and over 400 children are receiving skill training and psychosocial support in preparation for everyday living challenges.”
“A one-off payment of $2500 will be made to each of the ninety-three (93) privately registered Early Childhood Centres to assist with the purchase of educational supplies. This payment will be made from August 1, 2024.
“We are not turning back, we want a better future for the next generation. It is our duty to ensure that our children have better opportunities to generate wealth and improve their standard of living – we need to be united as a country to achieve these goals.”
Prime Minister Philip Pierre’s concluding statement of the 2024/2024 budget, stated:
“Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the path of your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” Psalms
“Do not turn to the right or to the left, keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs
The estimates of revenue and expenditure presented for 2024/2025, references:
“A sum of $47.3 or 9.8 percent of the development budget is also being proposed for the department of education for the upcoming year for the following projects:
- Saint Lucia Human Capital Resilience Project $16.4 million;
- Major Repairs/Rehabilitation of School Plant $14.2 million;
- OECS Skills and Innovation Project $4.8 million.
Related Link: An investment in education can fuel the Caribbean’s growth
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