MPs spar amid claims of partisanship in tablet distribution for students
Published:Tuesday | October 6, 2020 | 10:34 PM
There were charges and counter charges by parliamentarians on Tuesday over allegations of partisanship in the distribution of tablets to students on the government welfare initiative, the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).
Education Minister Fayval Williams implored members of the parliamentary Opposition not to politicise education, while her counterpart Angella Brown Burke cautioned the Government about turning education into a political football.
“Education is not a political football, it is something that we should collaborate on,” Brown Burke said.
Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern Lisa Hanna later joined the discussion, accusing Williams of playing politics with education when she cited the goal of her ministry and "the Jamaica Labour Party-led Government" in relation to tablets to schools.
“I know this is taxpayers’ money we are talking about. It is not Jamaica Labour Party money we are talking about,” said Hanna.
She also charged that the minister distributed tablets to constituencies led by Government MPs on Sunday, but neglected to visit constituencies led by Opposition MPs.
However, Williams explained that a corporate entity had given her tablets to deliver to a school and she used the opportunity to hand over tablets to the Brown’s Town Primary and the Alva Infant and Primary in St Ann.
“The distribution of tablets to PATH students will happen in all schools across Jamaica. I have already said to eLearning that I would like to go to every single constituency and do the handover,” she said.
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