Prime Minister James Marape has handed over K123 million school fee assistance to the Minister for Education, Jimmy Uguro.
PM Marape said education is a priority area for his Government.
He said the subsidy handed over should help alleviate the financial strain that has been put on parents as everyone prepares for the 2021 academic year.
PM Marape said the K123 million is the first quarter allocation of this year’s Government’s tuition fee subsidy programme.
“This is a quarter of this year’s allocation right as schools start,” he stated.
“We will be transferring funds to all the education institutions, secondary, primary and elementary schools in the country.
“This is to ensure that parents and guardians do not have to pay schools upfront the 37 percent of the school fees before their children or wards can go to school.
“Before the end of the first term of the academic year, we will ensure that funding for the second quarter will be released.
“We will try our best to make sure by June this year, the full component of the Government subsidy of K486 million is paid to schools.”
PM Marape also called on school boards not to charge more than 20 percent of the total school fees as project fees.
He said schools must make sure all school-aged children are registered and attend classes in this academic year.
No school-aged children should be left behind.
PM Marape said no student must be turned away on registration day despite their parents not meeting their component of school fees.
He also called on teachers and schools to prepare well in advance to facilitate the Government’s roll-out of Flexible Distance Education (FODE) courses this year.
(St Mary’s Catholic Primary School students in Lae. The government says no child should be left behind)