It should have been a political boon, but government's $6.5 million free textbook program for the country's 64,000 primary school students has become a public relations disaster. It's the second week of the school year and the books still haven't been delivered to all schools. That is despite assurances last week from the Minister of Education that students would get their books.
Principals tell us the books are being delivered but not in sufficient quantities, and that's why they haven't been distributed to students. The Association of Primary School Principals met today and the free textbook program was item one on the agenda. The promise to principals this morning from the Education Department was that the books would be delivered by this evening. But, when school finished at 2:30 there were still no books. We visited and met some frustrated and increasingly impatient parents.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The new school year began here at Holy Redeemer Primary School, as it did at all other primary schools across the country, last week Tuesday. Today is Wednesday and if you do the math - that's eight days. Its eight days that these primary school students have been in the classroom without their promised free textbooks. And today makes it 5 days since Education Minister Francis Fonseca told 7NEWS - on Friday- that the logistical problems had been worked out.
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
[September 14th, 2007] "We had delays, logistical delays...but the reality is that the problem has been resolved and the students will have their books."
Well students still don't have their books and parents we spoke to today were concerned.
Parent #1:Definitely I am concerned. How is he going to work? He needs his books.
KS: Has your daughter gotten her books?
Parent #2: No, not as yet. No textbooks so far.
KS: I see you looking through your daughter's book. That is the only book she has in her bag.
Parent #3: Yes and the other one is the coloring book and we have been waiting for her books from she started school.
KS: But it's like two weeks now.
Parent #3: Yeah it's been two weeks already and they haven't given them yet so we are waiting for that.
But some parents are tired of waiting.
Parent #4: I prefer to still buy the books like before. I am waiting for so long and maybe it is for nothing. I tried to buy the books but no books are in the bookstores or government book store. It is like you can't buy the books. I want to buy the books for my son and I can't buy because they have no books.
Parent #5: My daughter is going to Wesley on Albert Street and I don't think she got her books yet and you know as parents we don't know what is the holdup because this is the second week. When you ask your child if they have any homework, they barely have any homework because the essential books they haven't gotten yet. So I don't know what is the holdup. If government can't afford to give the books free, just come out and tell the parents so we can buy the books as we usually do before you have the children going to school and they aren't learning much because they don't have the textbooks because I am willing to buy my books. I am wailing to buy my books, I don't know what is the holdup.
The parents we spoke to today were picking up their children from Holy Redeemer Primary, the city's largest school with 1,200 students. And while schools say they haven't gotten enough books for all their students, on Friday Education Minister Francis Fonseca boasted that if anything, they have too many books. He also noted that the problem with distribution is limited to the city. We couldn't reach Chief Education Officer Maud Hyde or her Deputy for comment.
