Part IV — Financial Framework
Chapter 16 — Girl-Child Universal Support
Chapter 16
Girl-Child Universal Support
Every Girl Student enrolled in an affiliated class is exempt
from all WEQSC fees, without exception, without means-testing,
and without application. In addition to this universal
exemption, every Girl Student is entitled to elect either a
monthly stipend or an educational support bundle. This chapter
sets out the scope of the exemption, the two support options,
the election procedure, and the coordination with other
chapters.
16.1 General Principle
16.1.1
WEQSC is committed to the removal of gender-based
financial barriers to secondary education. This commitment
is given effect through the universal fee exemption and
the support options provided under this chapter.
16.1.2
The provisions of this chapter apply to every Girl Student
enrolled in an affiliated class, from Kindergarten
through Class 12, without discrimination as to age,
class, stream, or family circumstance.
16.1.3
The universal fee exemption under this chapter is not
means-tested, is not subject to any application, and is
not subject to any quota or budget limit. Every eligible
Girl Student receives it as of right.
16.1.4
The support options under this chapter — the monthly
stipend and the educational support bundle — are subject
to the election procedure and budget constraints in
Sections 16.4 and 16.5.
16.2 Universal Fee Exemption
16.2.1
A Girl Student is exempt from:
- Any registration fee in respect of enrolment in the WISE programme;
- The Student Examination Fee under Chapter 14, at any class;
- Any fee in respect of participation in the Scholarship Examination;
- Any fee in respect of the issue of a WISE Credential;
- Any fee in respect of attendance at a WISE Examination.
16.2.2
The exemption is applied automatically at the point of
enrolment or at the point at which a fee would otherwise
become payable. No application, declaration, or
documentation is required of the Girl Student, her
parent, or her guardian.
16.2.3
Gender is recorded in the student record in the Portal
under Section 11.2.2, and the exemption is applied on
the basis of that record.
16.2.4
The School must not charge a Girl Student any amount
styled as a WEQSC or WISE fee, whether at registration,
at examination, at credential issue, or at any other
point. Where the School does so, the amount is refundable
and the charge is a Critical Breach under Section 14.10.
16.2.5
The School may not require a Girl Student to demonstrate
need, produce an income certificate, or submit to any
other assessment of eligibility in order to receive the
exemption.
16.2.6
The exemption is applied by WEQSC in its invoicing to the
School. The School does not pay WEQSC in respect of a
Girl Student's examination fee, and does not recover such
an amount from any source.
16.3 Support Options — Overview
16.3.1
In addition to the universal fee exemption, every Girl
Student is entitled to elect one of two support options:
- Option A — Monthly Stipend. A cash payment made monthly during the Academic Session.
- Option B — Educational Support Bundle. A bundle of educational resources and equipment.
16.3.2
The options are mutually exclusive in a given Academic
Session. A Girl Student may not receive both in the same
session, subject to Section 16.5.4.
16.3.3
A Girl Student may change her election between Academic
Sessions, in accordance with Section 16.6.
16.3.4
The support options are awarded on a first-come,
first-served basis, subject to the annual budget for
girl-child support allocated by WEQSC under Chapter 20.
Where the budget is insufficient to meet all elections in
a given Academic Session, WEQSC will:
- Prioritise applications from Girl Students in Classes 9 through 12;
- Prioritise applications from Girl Students in schools located in low-income regions; and
- Where necessary, defer remaining applications to the following Academic Session, preserving the original date of application for priority purposes.
16.4 Option A — Monthly Stipend
16.4.1
A Girl Student who elects Option A receives a monthly
stipend for the duration of the Academic Session.
16.4.2
The stipend amount is between USD 30 and USD 50 per
month, determined by WEQSC on the basis of the School's
location and the cost of basic educational supplies in
the jurisdiction. The applicable amount for a given
School is notified through the Portal.
16.4.3
The stipend is paid monthly during the Academic Session,
ordinarily over a period of ten months. Where the Academic
Session is of a different length, the number of monthly
payments is adjusted proportionately.
16.4.4
The stipend is paid directly to the Girl Student, or,
where the student is a minor, to a designated parent or
guardian account. Where the stipend is paid to a parent
or guardian, the School must record in the student's
record that the parent or guardian has received the
payments and must obtain a written acknowledgment.
16.4.5
The stipend may be used for any educational purpose
beneficial to the Girl Student, including tuition,
books, supplies, transport, or nutrition.
16.4.6
Payment of the stipend is made by WEQSC directly or by a
payment agent engaged by WEQSC. The School is not
responsible for disbursement, but must cooperate in
verifying the Girl Student's enrolment and continuing
eligibility.
16.5 Option B — Educational Support Bundle
16.5.1
A Girl Student who elects Option B receives a bundle of
educational resources and equipment, comprising one or
more of the following items:
| Item |
Specification |
Indicative Value (USD) |
| Laptop or Tablet |
Refurbished or entry-level device, sufficient for online learning and WISE portal access |
200–300 |
| Smartphone |
Basic smartphone for communication and learning apps |
80–150 |
| School Bags and Stationery Kit |
Backpack, notebooks, pens, pencils, geometry set |
30–50 |
| Reference Books and Textbooks |
WEQSC-approved curriculum books, plus literature and reference works |
50–100 |
| Bicycle |
For commuting to school, where the distance or transport cost warrants |
80–120 |
16.5.2
The bundle is composed by WEQSC on the basis of the Girl
Student's individual circumstances, including the class
in which she is enrolled, the distance from home to
school, and any specific educational need identified in
her record.
16.5.3
The bundle is not a fixed package. WEQSC may substitute,
add to, or reduce the items in the bundle for any
individual Girl Student, subject to the aggregate value
of the bundle being within the range specified for her
Academic Session.
16.5.4
Where a Girl Student has previously received Option B
(the bundle) in one Academic Session, she may elect
Option B again in a subsequent session, receiving a
different combination of items or the same combination,
as appropriate. A Girl Student who has received a laptop
under Option B ordinarily receives other items in
subsequent sessions rather than a second laptop, unless
the first laptop is no longer functional and the School
certifies this.
16.5.5
Items provided under Option B become the property of
the Girl Student. They are not the property of the School
and are not returned to WEQSC. Where the Girl Student
transfers to another school, she retains the items.
16.5.6
Where an item is lost, stolen, or irreparably damaged
through no fault of the Girl Student, she may apply for
a replacement under the following Academic Session's
bundle, on production of a police report (where
applicable) or a written explanation certified by the
School.
16.5.7
WEQSC procures items under Option B through its own
procurement processes and arranges delivery to the
School, which then delivers to the Girl Student. The
School must confirm receipt and delivery in the Portal
within thirty days of receiving the items.
16.6 Election Procedure
16.6.1
The Girl Student, or her parent or guardian, elects
Option A or Option B by submitting an election form
through the Portal, ordinarily within sixty days of the
commencement of the Academic Session.
16.6.2
Where no election is made within the period specified,
the Girl Student is deemed to have elected Option B
(the bundle) unless the School is notified otherwise
in writing by the parent or guardian.
16.6.3
An election may be changed once during an Academic
Session, on written application by the parent or
guardian to the School, which must record the change
in the Portal. Any stipend already paid is not
recoverable, and any bundle already delivered is not
returnable. Where a change is made after stipend
payments have begun, the bundle provided is the
residual value, if any, after accounting for amounts
already paid.
16.6.4
WEQSC may, in exceptional circumstances and on written
application, permit an election to be made at any point
in an Academic Session, including after the ordinary
election period has closed.
16.6.5
The School must not influence, or attempt to influence,
the election made by a Girl Student or her family. Any
attempt to do so — including by representing that one
option is unavailable, or by presenting the choice in a
manner that favours one option — is a Breach.
16.7 Coordination with Other Support
16.7.1
The universal fee exemption under this chapter operates
independently of any scholarship under Chapter 15. A
Girl Student may hold a Merit Scholarship or Participation
Scholarship and receive the universal exemption under
this chapter simultaneously, subject to Section 15.8.3.
16.7.2
A Girl Student who is also within the Elite Support Tier
under Chapter 18 receives the girl-child support under
this chapter and the elite support under Chapter 18, in
full and without reduction. The two programmes serve
different purposes and are not offset against each other.
16.7.3
Bonus Marks under Chapter 17 are available to a Girl
Student on the same basis as to any other student, and
are unaffected by her receipt of support under this
chapter.
16.7.4
Where a Girl Student is enrolled in a School that
receives a discount under Chapter 19 in respect of
Recognised Uniformed Youth Organisation units, the
discount to the School does not reduce the support to
which the Girl Student is entitled under this chapter.
16.8 Confidentiality and Dignity
16.8.1
The receipt of support under this chapter is confidential
to the Girl Student, her parent or guardian, and the
School. The School must not disclose, in any public
manner, the identity of a Girl Student receiving support
under this chapter, whether by name, class, or any other
identifier.
16.8.2
Where the School publishes information about the
availability of girl-child support, it must do so in
general terms, without identifying any individual
recipient.
16.8.3
Stipend payments must be made in a manner that does not
single out the Girl Student in front of her peers. Where
a School is involved in any physical distribution of
items, it must do so in a dignified manner, ordinarily
outside classroom hours.
16.8.4
Any breach of the confidentiality requirements in this
section is a Major Finding under Chapter 28, and may be
escalated to Critical where the breach is deliberate.
16.9 Data and Reporting
16.9.1
The School must maintain, in the Portal, a record of
every Girl Student enrolled, indicating the support
option elected and the payments or items received.
16.9.2
The record under Section 16.9.1 is subject to the
confidentiality provisions of Section 16.8 and the data
protection provisions of Chapter 24.
16.9.3
WEQSC publishes annual statistics on the number of Girl
Students supported, the aggregate value of support
provided, and the distribution of elections between
Option A and Option B. The statistics are anonymised.
16.9.4
Where a Girl Student is at risk of being withdrawn from
school under Section 13.9.3, the School must record the
risk and the action taken under that section.
16.10 Breach — Consequences
16.10.1
A Breach of any provision of this chapter is subject to
the audit regime in Chapter 28 and, where applicable, to
the suspension and termination regime in Chapter 29.
16.10.2
The following are classified as indicated:
| Breach | Classification |
|---|
| Charging a Girl Student any WEQSC or WISE fee |
Critical |
| Requiring a Girl Student to prove need or eligibility for the exemption |
Major |
| Influencing or attempting to influence a Girl Student's election |
Major |
| Disclosing the identity of a Girl Student receiving support |
Major (Critical if deliberate) |
| Failure to record a Girl Student's election or support received |
Minor (Major if repeated) |
| Failing to deliver a bundle item to the Girl Student |
Major |
| Failing to cooperate in verifying enrolment for stipend disbursement |
Minor |
16.10.3
Where a Critical Breach under this chapter involves the
collection of an unauthorised fee from a Girl Student,
WEQSC may require the School to refund the amount
collected with interest, in addition to any other
consequence.
16.10.4
Nothing in this chapter displaces the School's right of
appeal under Chapter 35.
Further Resources
- Girl-child support overview —
wise.weqsc.org/girl-child
- Election form —
wise.weqsc.org/forms/girl-child-election
- Bundle item catalogue —
wise.weqsc.org/girl-child/bundle
- Confidentiality guidelines for Schools —
wise.weqsc.org/girl-child/confidentiality
- Statistics —
wise.weqsc.org/reports/girl-child