School fees plan

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By GYNNIE KERO
SCHOOLS will receive the balance of tuition-free fees for the year this month, say Finance Minister James Marape.
He told The National yesterday that the Government had so far paid out K337 million to schools this year.
The total education funding for 2016 is K602 million.
The Government had paid out K301 million at the end of term two. Last week, it released more than K36 million for part of term three.
“We have released up to K337 milllion already and the balance for this term will be submitted before the end of this month,” he said.
Marape urged school administrators to ensure that the funds were used well, and to use resources such as land to grow their own food.
The Education Department recently appointed tuition-free fee quality assurance officers in each province to be the link between the schools, province and the department.
Education Minister Nick Kuman said the officer would oversee the disbursement of tuition-free fee payments and deal with matters related to them.
Meanwhile, Marape was chief guest at a recent graduation ceremony at the Paglum Adventist Secondary School in Western Highlands.
He commended the school for being recognised by the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventist Church as a five-star school.
“With little or no money but good administration of school led by hard working principal Robinson Lanza, the school is now the first in the Pacific education system of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” he said.
Paglum Secondary School progressed from a junior high school, high school and now a secondary school.
Community leader Micheal Ekri thanked the church for the school and said the community would support the school as a potential site for a tertiary institution.
Western Highlands Mission of Seventh-day Adventist president Pastor Allan Akili thanked the hard working staff of Paglum Secondary School.
He said his wish was to see that all teachers in the school had degrees with one teacher allocated to only one subject at the school.