Cabinet leak of students’ names for education assistance grants shameful- Parents
The names of the students, some as young as 19, are now making the rounds on Facebook and WhatsApp.
It is our newsroom's understanding that at a Cabinet meeting a few weeks ago a unanimous decision was made that, before the Audit Report is laid before the House of Assembly (HoA), the students' names would be redacted to protect their identity and keep the students away from the vicious politics.
Who is the leak from the Cabinet?
To date, the Auditor General's Report is still to be laid before the HoA but many are accusing a Cabinet Member for leaking the information for political expediency. Our news centre cannot independently verify the name of the Minister who has been circulated as the culprit.
Many parents have called our newsroom or have texted to say that while they understand it's public funds and nothing is private in the public domain “our young students should not be caught up in this kind of politics, it could have psychological effects on them as they study.”
Another parent, a father speaking to our newsroom on condition of anonymity, said: “I could tell you that report is not accurate… up to yet my daughter did not get a dime of that money that is listed”. Another parent, this time a mother, noted that it seems like they added her child's "scholarship with the assistant grant to deliberately give a misleading picture on the final figure”.
Others have opined that it is government/public funds so transparency should be in order, especially following the controversial UK-led Commission of Inquiry Report.
All socio-economic got help- Auditor General
According to the Auditor General in her report entitled ‘Assistance Grants January 2019-May 2022- Audit Report- 30 December 2022’, which is still not a public document but was obtained by our newsroom from a WhatsApp posting, “persons of all socio-economic classes have applied and received assistance from all the programmes. These classes of persons include Permanent Secretaries and other senior public officers, attorneys, entrepreneurs, store clerks, current and potential students, unemployed persons and the elderly to name a few. In addition, for the most part, these programmes lack limitations on the amounts that can be awarded whether individually (one-time award) or collectively (multiple awards to the same applicant) during a specified timeframe”.
The question remains who from the Cabinet has violated their oath and leaked the document to the public, since it should not have been a public document until laid before the HoA and students' names redacted.
The Cabinet is made up of the five Ministers and the Governor as Chair.
Worst pandemic in 100 years
Most of the residents were given financial assistance by former Premier Andrew A. Fahie during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that literally shut down the territory and the rest of the world for two years (2020-2021).
At the last HoA Sitting on February 21, 2023, Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) warned the public to “buckle up and grab your popcorn as more reports will be made public”.
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71 Responses to “Cabinet leak of students’ names for education assistance grants shameful- Parents”
Some on Government Boards, have businesses including a boat charter company but get the most and for two children.
Let's Go ALLEN
What I think the concern is for other students is that there is still some ego, and not wanting people to know that you received any form of financial assistance because it makes them feel less.
I hope other students who have seen the list at least understand that a lot of folks who were definitely able to finance their own education took advantage of something they didn't need and that if you did need the funds there is no shame in applying for the grants when needed.
someone in the chat mentioned lawyers and Permanent secretaries receiving funds.......if you literally dont have funds available and need public assistant grant to survive, thats one thing, but if you driving around in a 70k car and own a boat, but cant afford the payments or to put fuel in it, then shut ip and sell off your surplus assets. ( what im saying is, if you needed a grant to sustain a certain lifestyle, then shame in you)
i hope that some day soon the list is made public with everyone's names listed .
what i would also like to see is a full list of all those who applied for belongership under the fast track scheme who should/ will be investigated for applying under false pretense and supplied false documents ( some of who were lawyers and proffessional individuals who don't even live in the territory........i know for a fact that the govenor and the chief immigration officer were made aware if some individuals who categorically should not have been granted belongership because of false applications, yet nothing has been done about it.......yet
Shocking and shameful revelation.
Granny used to warn me not to envy people when I see them with things. Now i see why.
How many more of 'Nature's Little Secrets' are still hidden despite loud cries for transparency and accountability?
Hmmm. I wonder.
But if i read correctly a list with students names and financial amounts of their student grants was leaked?
No way we can have polititcians who are this irresponsible!
No doubt the kids go through a vetting process for their studies in addition to acceptance from the school.
Keep the people off your pollical games! Regularly confidential information is released.
Soon no one will have any confidence when applying for assistance that they will not become a target for humiliation or thieves.
Also get rid of the mentality that its wrong to help people. In this small place with so much money people suffering for lack of assistance & politicans are getting scared to make a difference instead they go and leak lists as if they are school children.