By signing the contract, a parent/guardian agrees to replace or pay for missing or destroyed textbooks. No future textbooks will be issued to your child/ ward until the missing textbook is replaced or paid for. What are the responsibilities of the parents/guardians of pupils accessing the S.E.L.F book scheme?

Responsibilities include: • Providing a safe place at home for the books • Ensuring that all book are covered • Inspecting textbooks frequently to verify that they are properly kept • Replacing or paying for textbooks in the event of loss or destruction • Ensuring that books are returned at the designated time • Paying the maintenance fee of $25.00 per child What are the responsibilities of my child/ward? Each child is to:

•

Ensure that the books are in a safe place at home and at

• • • •

school (kept away from water, food, small children, left unattended etc.) Present textbooks for inspection upon request of teachers Refrain from marking the pages of the books Help ensure that books are covered Ensure prompt return of all textbooks

UNDERSTANDING

S.E.L.F A Guide for Parents/Guardians September 2012

What happens to the books if my child changes schools?

Your child, upon consultation with school officials, will take the books with him/her if none is available at the new school. Does S.E.L.F pay for all children sitting the C.X.C examinations?

No. Examination fees are paid only for those children whose parents make a combined salary of less than $4000.00. per month. The parents are, however, required to make a contribution of $100.00 upon registration of the student. Where can I access further information?

For further questions/ information contact the S.E.L.F Department at telephone no. 467 1411 or visit our website at www.moeskn.org.

S.E.L.F Unit Ministry of Education Church Street Basseterre, St. Kitts

What is the meaning of the acronym S.E.L.F?

S.E.L.F means ‘Student Education Learning Fund’ What is S.E.L.F?

The Student Education Learning Fund, (S.E.L.F) is a government funded initiative. This fund is geared towards ensuring that each child in the Federation is given the opportunity to receive and achieve a high level of education regardless of their social or financial circumstances. The Scheme not only gives children access to needed textbooks, but also assists students with the payment of examination fees (CSEC and CAPE). To whom does the S.E.L.F cater?

The following categories of students are inclusive of the S.E.L.F scheme: • Primary School students • Secondary School students Needs assessments are done on students at post- secondary institutions in the Federation. Who is eligible for the S.E.L.F programme?

The Ministry of Education believes that education should be accessible to all,

regardless of one’s socioeconomic background. No child will be denied books; however, there are two categories of children who will be given priority: • those children covered under the Social Safety Net Programme as regulated by the Ministry of Social Dev. • parents having genuine difficulty in buying the textbooks because of dire financial circumstances What materials are excluded under the textbook loan policy?

• • •

Reference materials: encyclopaedias, atlases, dictionaries, Workbooks, study guides Literature texts

Are all resident pupils in forms 1-5 eligible for the loan of textbooks?

Yes. Pupils’ needs, however, vary greatly. Books will be loaned on the basis of individual pupil needs.

What is a ‘Book Request Form’?

A book request form is the form signed by the parent/guardian, before receipt of your child’s/ward’s textbooks. It will be issued to you at

your child’s/ward’s school. Parents’/guardians’ signatures indicate a willingness to adhere to regulations stipulated. Will my child/ward be given the textbooks without my signature?

No book will be issued until the book request form is signed by the parent/guardian. Do I have to pay for the textbooks received by my child?

The textbooks do not incur a cost. However, there is a ‘maintenance fee’ collected on receipt of books. What is the fee and why do parents have to pay it?

Parents pay a non refundable fee of $25.00 on receipt of a set of textbooks. If there are two or more children in the same home attending school, $50.00 is the maximum parents will pay. The fund is used for the repairs or replacement of textbooks damaged through normal wear and tear. What happens in the event of a missing textbook?