Students denied books

Klao Bell, Staff Reporter

POOR secondary school students who have not been able to pay their school fees are being barred from participating in the Government's book-rental programme, although the books are stashed away in book rooms at the schools.

This, The Sunday Gleaner has learned, is a factor that has pushed the Ministry of Education to re-examine the effectiveness of the book-rental programme which was implemented to address a severe problem, whereby many children were going to school without the essential learning tool.

"We are now doing a study on that, looking at the accessibility of books to students," said Jackie Cousins, Assistant Chief Education Officer for Media Services at the Ministry of Education Youth and Culture, who is in charge of the book-rental programme. "We are concerned that at the school level, access isn't as we want it to be."

Textbooks are kept from students whose parents apply for assistance under the Government's Cost-Sharing Programme, but who fail to pay their agreed portion of the money. This, although the Government has made provision for text books to be provided for students facing financial difficulty.

"Some schools are not organised and do not allow kids to access special assistance. The principal is authorised to apply on behalf of needy children for text book subsidy but sometimes they don't make the application, and that child doesn't get books even though they may be at the school," Ms. Cousins said.

She said a Ministry study in 1987 showed that one per cent of students had access to science books, 11 per cent to math books and five per cent to language books. With the book rental, she said, access should be 100 per cent but some children were still not getting the books.

She was unable to substantiate this claim with figures but said frequent reports to the Ministry had shown that "this problem is taking place in pockets of schools islandwide."

However, school administrators balk at this claim, stating that students' welfare was given priority.

"Almost all our children are on cost-sharing and that indicates that there are needs, so we are always looking at ways to serve them. Our students are at the centre of our plans," said Barbara Sinclair, principal of the Vauxhall Secondary School, Kingston.

Norma Johnson, assistant textbook administrator at Excelsior School, Kingston, said, "The guidance counsellor looks into the situation then we will give books if necessary. But sometimes parents don't talk to us and let us know the situation - so sometimes we don't know."

Another principal said the size of the school population made it difficult to "catch everybody."

But Ms. Cousins says that some school administrators were not sympathetic to students.

"One of the problems is the attitude of the administration. They are sometimes unwilling to seek help on behalf of children because they see the child wearing an expensive shoes or fancy hair-do and think that the parents can afford it. Some administrators feel that parents should pay and are reluctant about seeking assistance on their behalf," Ms. Cousins said.

The policy of the Ministry of Education is that the first $1,000 from school fees should go to book rental. But if parents do not make their contribution to the Cost-Sharing Programme and a legitimate need is identified, school administrators should apply for textbook subsidy for the students.

Last year there was $100 million available in the book rental fund from which the textbook subsidy could be taken.

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