NEEDY PUPILS (Financial aid schemes)

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NEEDY PUPILS:

(Financial aid schemes): The following Question stood in the name of Dr Warren Lee -

14. To ask the Acting Minister for Education (a) whether financial hardship has been a significant factor in recent cases of persistent absence from school; and (b) whether existing aid schemes have adequate coverage for needy pupils.

Mr Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani (Hong Kah): Question No. 14, Sir.

The Acting Minister for Education (Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam): Mr Speaker, Sir, Dr Warren Lee has asked whether financial hardship is a significant factor in cases of persistent absence from school. The reasons why students are persistently absent from school vary. These include personal and family problems, and the lack of motivation on the part of the student, and often the family to take his studies seriously. Financial hardship has not been a significant factor.

There is a wide range of schemes providing financial assistance to needy students. They can apply for the Ministry of Education Financial Assistance Scheme, which grants waiver of school fees, and part of the miscellaneous fees, and provides free textbooks to students. In year 2003, a total of 11,417 students received help from the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme, compared to 7,387 students in year 2002. The numbers have gone up further this year. As at May this year, schools have processed and approved over 13,000 applications for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme. This number effectively covers 10% of students who stay in HDB 1-3 room flats

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and 2% of those staying in HDB 4-5 room flats. The total amount disbursed for financial assistance is estimated at about $1.5 million this year.

In addition,

schools help to source for support for needy students from other sources, such as financial assistance schemes administered by the School Advisory Committee or the School Management Committee and community organisations like the CDCs and voluntary welfare organisations. Under these schemes, assistance can take the form of subsidies for enrichment programmes, pocket money, transport vouchers, free meals, stationery and uniforms. In 2003, School Advisory Committees provided $3 million worth of financial assistance and bursaries to needy students in Government schools.

Taken together, these financial assistance schemes from the Ministry of Education and the wider community ensure that no child is denied an education on account of financial difficulties.