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What kind of mother would use the money provided by the Government for the welfare of her children on things like trendy hairstyles instead?

Some mothers are doing exactly that - spending the money on hairstyles, manicures and pedicures.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles last week exposed these women for who they are, asking them to stop it and at the same time threatening to withhold the grants. They secured funds under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) which seeks to address the needs of the most marginalised, including the poor, elderly and disabled, through cash grants and other benefits. The programme has a special provision for students, up to the age of 18, who are required to have a school attendance record of at least 85 per cent to qualify.

So what kind of mother would do such a thing?

Positive Parenting wanted to look inside the mind of that kind of mother and sought expert opinion. We questioned our own psychologist Dr Orlean Brown-Earle.

"A mother with mistaken priority," she said of this mother. "For her, it is more important to be seen looking good."

Analysing this mother further, Brown-Earle said, "She doesn't understand the long-term implication for investing in the child's education."

Education not important

She also linked this behaviour to culture, where, some parents did not get far in education and believe, "di pickney nah go nuh where," especially if the child is not considered bright in school and may not have got into a one of the traditional high schools after GSAT. In that case "him/shi may come sell like mi ... " so education is not important.

Charles said that parents who were using the money for purposes other than that for which it was granted, were depriving their children of an education by keeping them out of school.

"Those mothers who take the PATH programme money and head to the beauty salon, to do their fingernails and toenails. I would (urge you to desist)," JIS quoted Charles as saying.

"Those (of you) who are comfortable with the child staying home, because you have to use the money for something else, you're not going to get the money. If the teachers advise us that (for) 85 per cent of the time the child is out, the money (will not be allocated to you)," he warned.

Charles, according to JIS, said that inappropriate use of the allocations could result in the support, from agencies like the World Bank, being channelled elsewhere, as the institution has 'hundreds of people' elsewhere seeking similar support.

He was speaking at the first in a series of national education consultations, jointly staged with the Ministry of Education, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.