KINGSTON, Jamaica — Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid has rejected claims from the People’s National Party (PNP) that his recent monetary pledges to schools in the St Ann North Western Constituency is to gain political advantage as the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) representative for the constituency in the next general elections.

The Opposition party yesterday issued a release claiming that there was unabated evidence that Reid was making “unfair” pledges of monetary contribution to schools in the constituency and called on the Auditor General to investigate the matter and to ensure that funds allocated to education are not surreptitiously diverted for political campaign purposes.

“The PNP has taken note with grave concern of certain pledges and commitments made to some schools in North West St Ann by the Minister of Education and Youth, Senator the Honourable Ruel Reid, during a recent visit to attend graduation exercises of schools in the area,” said the PNP.

The party claimed that Reid promised J$3.1 million to each of seven primary schools he visited in the constituency and a further J$20 million to two high schools “for a potpourri of activities”.

The PNP said while it had no problem with schools receiving additional financial assistance, “we are concerned that Senator Reid has committed a total of J$61 million to nine schools in North West St Ann where he will be the JLP’s candidate against the incumbent Member of Parliament, Dr Dayton Campbell”.

However, Reid told OBSERVER ONLINE that the Opposition’s claims were “silly” and insisted that the monies pledged were a part of an existing “comprehensive critical repairs programme” geared towards repairing and upgrading school infrastructure across the island.

Reid said that there has been a substantial increase in funding to the educational system since the current Government came into power and stated that the Government spent over $700 million in critical repairs and major infrastructure works across the island last year.

“We have a $379 million critical maintenance budget that we are working on to complete by the start of the new school year, as well as we have $431 million for major expansion works,” said Reid.

He pointed out that the Task Force on Educational Reform in 2004 spoke to “gross underfunding in schools and critical repairs”.

Reid said the administration has been remedying this since 2016 with a 169 per cent increase in regular grants to primary schools and over 70 per cent increase in funding to high schools.

“In regards to North West St Ann, like all other sections of the country, we have a comprehensive critical repairs programme and I took the opportunity while on tour of the area to reiterate my commitment to those schools,” said Reid, who also insisted that the PNP’s Dr Campbell was with him at most of the school graduation platforms he visited in the constituency. 

“He (Dr Campbell) also announced that, from his own Constituency Development Fund, he would be supporting the education system through vouchers and will provide support to top GSAT students.

“This is not about buying votes; this is about a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of the education system across the country,” insisted Reid. 

Reid was endorsed as the JLP’s caretaker for NW St Ann on Sunday, April 22 after the party’s Othneil Lawrence resigned from the post.

Deandra Morrison