Means to mistrust?

Government’s proposal to weigh household wealth in deciding eligibility for education subsidization is going to fail, since it cannot disclose private financial information to support decisions on qualifying or denying GATE applicants’ funding. Garcia said new students over 50, won’t be able to access GATE, but continuing students who reach age 50 will get funding to complete their programme. He said his ministry’s website contains details of the means testing.

Davidson pointed out that the means test only deals with income, unlike a previous eight-page means test used in 2004 to 2006, which included questions on family assets.

Garcia said that even with means-testing, student fees will be modest. Garcia says from the forthcoming academic year (20127-2018), GATE funding will depend on the income of the household. Students whose household income is under $10,000 a month will be eligible for 100 per cent gate funding. Where the household income is above $10,000, the student will be required to pay 25 per cent of tuition fees and where the household income is above $30,000 students will be required to pay 50 per cent.

Who will be held criminally liable where false financial information is given by a GATE applicant, the GATE applicant or the household? What arrangement will comprise a household income? Where will government source money to create jobs and pay for the ‘army of investigating officers’ Garcia says will go out into the field, in homes and on work sites to probe GATE fraud? Is it ethical for government to use education subsidisation to mine for private financial information? Where will government source funding to hire an army of investigators to weed out GATE fraud? How much forex will that army earn TT ?

B Joseph via email