00:00The National Council of Parent Teacher Associations is making the following appeal to the Minister of Education.
00:07We are very concerned about the book grant and the need to re-look, take a second look, take another look at what is taken into the book grant
00:15because many of our parents are depending on the book grant even for survival and we need to consider and look at the reinstatement of the book grant.
00:27The NPTA is also calling for greater investment in special needs children.
00:33However, the Council is in support of one initiative announced by the government, the PEARL Project.
00:39Promoting Early Assessment for Resilient Learners, P-E-A-R-L.
00:47The PEARL Project, as we understand it, is a project where when the child enters early childhood education
00:56and our infant department, there are going to be mandatory early assessment or screening.
01:04In other words, auditory, visual, vision, speech impairments or speech impediments
01:13and the physical structure of the child would be tested in the early formative stages of the child's educational journey.
01:21However, here too, the Council is calling for the inclusion of socio-economic evaluations.
01:28Many of our children are faced with poverty.
01:32Many of our children are faced with abusive homes.
01:37Many of our students are faced with single parenting.
01:39And as such, if we have to meaningfully address what is taking place in our primary and secondary schools,
01:48in particular with school indiscipline and school balance,
01:52it has to be more than auditory.
01:54It has to be more than vision.
01:56It has to be more than the physical structure of the child.
02:01We have to get into the homes.
02:02Stuart was speaking at a church service to Kickstart NPTA Week,
02:07during which he took the opportunity to call for a Sunday school to be instituted in schools nationwide.
02:14I'm told the Hindu word for Sunday school is Bal Vihar and the Muslim is Maktab.
02:21And members, if you go around throughout Finland and Tobago and you re-instill the importance of Sunday school and Bal Vihar and Maktab,
02:32you will understand that the trajectory and the thinking of our children has to be changed.
02:38Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
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