KINGSTON, Jamaica — Education Minister, Senator Ruel Reid today announced the release of $1.3 billion for the funding of secondary schools.

An additional $259 million will be provided for infant, primary, all-age and junior high schools this week, as well as approximately $1.76 billion for the PATH feeding grant, Reid disclosed at a press conference at the ministry’s National Heroes Circle Offices.

According to the ministry, the allocation will allow PATH students to receive meals for five days of the school week. The ministry also announced that it will be covering the insurance payments for all students on PATH and wards-of-the-State as of the 2017/2018 school year.

Reid said that the ministry will honour its commitment to increase funding for schools operations for the academic year 2017/2018 with a budget of $7.2 billion.

The ministry, he said, will commit to four scheduled disbursements.

* The first tranche which will be disbursed in the second week of June 2017.

* The second tranche to be disbursed in the second week of September.

* The third tranche in the second week of December.

* The fourth tranche will be paid in the second week of April 2018.

Meanwhile, the ministry said that schools are being urged to discuss the amount being requested from parents for the coming academic year with their Parent/Teachers’ Associations.