Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller making her presentation in the Budget Debate at Gordon House on Tuesday. -Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

While welcoming the announcements made by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller that the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) would be extended, interested groups say the allotment to beneficiaries should be increased and that the means tests should be re-examined.

The Prime Minister on Tuesday, in her Budget presentation, announced that PATH would be expanded this year from 236,000 to 252,000 beneficiaries.

In addition, students up to 17 years would now be able to remain on the programme once they go on to sixth form.

Shirley Pryce, president of the JamaicaHousehold Helpers Association, said this was a welcomed move.

"I am happy that was done because this will help household workers who can't afford to send their children to school," she said.

Helen Davis-Whyte, general secretary of the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO), which represents poor relief officers, said the move to allow students to be on the programme longer whilst they are in school, was something that they have always batted for.

More monthly funds needed

"Our poor relief officers, they have brought this to our attention, that this is a group which needs to be dealt with because the parents do not have the wherewithal to keep them in school and they are automatically taken from the programme," she said.

Mrs. Davis-Whyte was, however, critical of the $530 which is allotted each month to each beneficiary on the programme.

"The amount that is paid out, I think is something that needs to be looked at because the general concern is that it is inadequate to deal with all the expenses that have to be borne in favour of the children," she said.

The JALGO general secretary said that, currently, many children who are on the programme have difficulties finding the bus fare to get to school.

"And when they do not go to school they are struck from the programme and I think that is an area that needs to be addressed," she pointed out.

Meanwhile, Opposition Senator Christopher Tufton said the requirement that children on the programme should have an 80 per cent school attendance rate was unrealistic.

"That requirement ignores the total challenge of attending school from a poor person's perspective because it assumes that, because you can get a little lunch and a waiver on the cess or tuition, that everything is all right and ignores the other 50 or so percentage cost of sending someone to school," he said.

He also called for the means tests of the programme to be re-examined because he said many persons who were in need of assistance were not qualified because they have a television or running water in their homes.

The Prime Minister said PATH would see a further injection of $100 million this year.Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller making her presentation in the Budget Debate at Gordon House on Tuesday. -Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer