The Guyana Government is exploring the option of providing free transportation for some students as part of an initiative aimed at ensuring more children attend school regularly.

Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir says the project is a facet of the Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE) programme – which already provides free uniforms and meals to schoolchildren – and would be supported by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

“Apart from the uniform and school feeding programme, we are looking to go a step further because in some localities we have children who have to walk several miles to get to and from school,” he said, adding that his ministry is exploring the option of arranging transportation for those children.

“We’ve had some discussion with the ILO principals in Geneva and they are very pleased with this initiative.”

The Ministry of Education will identify those schools with very irregular attendance and low punctuality record and begin the intervention there.

The pilot project is scheduled to coincide with the commencement of the new school term in September.

Nadir said that getting children into school and keeping them there will help the ministry meet its target of halving the number of high school dropouts