Families await Budget decision on $200 Back to School Assistance

Thousands of families will be watching tomorrow's National Budget announcement closely after Education Minister Aseri Radrodro said a decision on the future of the grant is expected to be revealed.

The minister says the programme has helped improve school attendance and enrolment since its introduction.

Asked whether the grant would be extended, Mr Radrodro said it was too early to confirm, with the decision expected to be announced in the Budget.

“It’s a decision that we hope will come,” he said.

Mr Radrodro did not elaborate further but said the assistance had played a significant role in increasing school attendance and enrolment since its introduction.

He said parents had been encouraged from the outset to use the assistance for school-related expenses.

“When it started, we encouraged parents and stakeholders to ensure that the assistance was spent on children in preparing them for school,” he said.

“There has been a lot of improvement since its inception.”

The minister said the Ministry of Education's broader priorities for the new financial year included maintaining free education grants, transport assistance and textbook assistance, while continuing to promote lifelong learning standards.

“We will continue to ensure that students are given quality education standards and lifelong learning skills,” he said.

Mr Radrodro said the ministry had consistently received the largest share of the national budget and expressed hope that today's announcement would allow services to continue uninterrupted despite current fiscal pressures.

“We’re looking forward to a favourable budget for the Ministry of Education,” he said.