Poor kids getting gov’t cash doles required to have passing marks – DSWD

CDN FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Indigent school children covered by the conditional cash transfer program must have a passing general weighted average to continue enjoying the educational grant of the anti-poverty program.

In particular, children in high school under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program are required by the end of the school year to reach the passing GWA prescribed by the Department of Education, and advance to the next year level.

In addition, children in the elementary grades who repeat a year level in school will be allowed to continue with the program, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

DSWD Metro Manila regional director Ma. Alicia Bonoan said the agency would implement the policy on the passing GWA requirement beginning this school year.

“Beneficiaries in high school must reach the appropriate GWA to pass their current level in high school for them to be continuously monitored in the education conditionality of the program,” Bonoan said.

The DSWD official said this policy would push beneficiaries to finish their secondary education, since failing at any level in high school would remove their qualification for the educational grant.

In Metro Manila, 112,789 children in high school, 258,375 in elementary and 42,900 in preschool have been covered by the conditional cash transfer program’s educational grant, as of April 2015.

In 2014, DSWD implemented the age expansion of the conditional cash transfer program, which now covers children aged 0 to 18 years old for health and educational grants. A maximum of three per household can be covered by the program.

Beneficiaries in high school receive a monthly educational grant of P500, while those in elementary receive P300.

Children receive P500 a month for the health grant, with their parents required to bring them to health centers for regular check ups and assure their regular attendance in school. SFM