Adviser: Let pupils attend classes

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
A SENIOR education official in East Sepik has warned that no students should be sent home due to non-payment of any sort of fees set by schools.
Education adviser Raymond Bakavi said the fees included enrolment, registrations and project fees. “The Government’s tuition free subsidies (TFF) have been paid for the first term so all students should be allowed to attend classes whilst the school administrations negotiate fees with parents,” he said.
Bakavi clarified that enrolment fees and registration fees were not part of the project fees that parents had to pay. “Enrolment and registration fees cover cost of uniforms for some schools, school transportation, security etc,” he said.
Bakavi said few schools had developed strict policies so parents could pay up outstanding project fees from the previous school year, especially for continuing students.
For East Sepik schools, Brandi, Bishop Leo and Mercy Secondary schools, the project fees are K220, however, for enrolment and registrations, fees may vary.
Bakavi also said for project fees, some schools had a tradition to consult with parents during a parent-teacher meeting to decide on the fees, but, he added that all project fees must be set within the limits set by the national and provincial education boards.
Education Minister Jimmy Uguro, in response, said the limits should not be exceeded.
He said: “The national education policy still stands where all project fees must be set within the limits and not exceeding the limits set by the education boards.”