Project Fees

The direction was issued through Circular No. 05/2023 on Monday 30 January, directed to provincial education advisors, district education officers, school inspectors and school heads.

The circular warned school heads not to defy the government’s GTFS Policy Directives by collecting school and project fees.

Stating that school heads found to be collecting school and project fees will be charged and suspended from payroll.

The public announcement was headlined ‘No School Fees or Project Fees to be charged by Schools in the National Education System in 2023’

The Department of Education emphasizes that no school fees or project fees are to be charged by schools in the national education system in 2023.

Following the Education Minister’s policy statement made in Parliament regarding the government’s Tuition Fee Policy for 2023, Minister Jimmy Uguro held a press conference in Port Moresby to clarify the details on Thursday 19 January 2023.

The funding is part of K632 million allocated in this year’s budget to the Department of Education (DoE), as per the free education policy.

The DoE will be working with all schools across the country to ensure that funds are in their school accounts, when the academic year commences.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced this decision by the National Executive Council, saying this fee was not compulsory and was often excessive.

Prime Minister O’Neill said NEC has rescinded Clause (2) of the NEC Decision No. 358/2015 which had allowed for this fee to be collected.

Clause (2) of NEC Decision No. 358/2015 reads “approved in principle the Tuition Fee Free (TFF) Policy to improve on the management and disbursement of the TFF funds”.

Acting Secretary for Education Dr Uke Kombra officially issued the instruction today as per the National Executive Council’s (NEC) decision.

Head teachers who do not comply with this decision will face disciplinary action.

NEC has made the decision to endorse the new single integrated Tuition Free Fee Policy in principal but the section on project fees imposed on parents was not approved after it was abused by schools.

Schools are currently not allowed to collect any project fees since the direction was given last week.

For parents who have already paid project fees levied, schools were advised to hold onto the fees pending Cabinet's decision.

Department acting secretary Dr Uke Kombra confirmed that Cabinet has discussed the matter and will make an announcement Monday.

He urged boards of governors to comply with the instruction.

The decision stems from reports of gross abuse of these fees by schools. 

Schools are currently not allowed to collect any project fees and for parents who had already paid the project fees levied, schools would hold onto the fees pending the Cabinet decision.

Department acting secretary Dr Uke Kombra confirmed today that the Cabinet has discussed the matter and will make an announced next week.

Earlier this week, Dr Kombra cancelled a directive he issued which allowed schools to collect project fees, because of the “mixed application of the project fees policy”.

School official,  Josepha Tonar  who spoke on behalf of the Deputy Principal said project fees for this year  would be K400.

Tonar said K200 was for uniforms and K200 would be  for a new school fence project.

Students were advised that those continuing Grades 10 and 12 are to pay up and commence classes, while new enrollments for  grade 9 and 11 will be properly sorted by midweek. Teachers will have to confirm all student - teacher ratio and allocation of students  in class before the academic year goes into full swing.

Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra said in a statement yesterday a circular dated Feb 1, 2016 will be sent to all schools this week.

Dr Kombra had announce on January 21 the imposition of project fees this year.

However he said the reintroduction of project fees in 2016 has already been misapplied by some schools.

"Until an NEC decision is made, no school is to charge and collect any project fee."

"If any school has collected project fees, those funds are to be held until NEC reaches a decision," Dr Kombra said.

Education Minister Nick Kuman in a press conference today said additional fees in the form of project fees may be imposed by schools for special purposes as approved by the National Education Board and provincial education board.

However, he emphasised students must not be denied an education from their respective schools for the non-payment of this project fees.

A maximum project fee of K50 can be imposed on students in Elementary schools, K100 is the maximum fee for primary schools, K200 for High schools and Vocational Schools and  K250 for Secondary schools.