Adviser: No project fees for Manus

National, Normal
Source:

The National,Monday 11th of February, 2013

By ELIZABETH VUVU
AT least one province in the New Guinea Islands region has indicated that its schools would not impose project fees this year.
Manus schools have not submitted any proposals for project fees this year, provincial education adviser Leonard Johnly said.
“We would like to believe that the intention of the government in providing free education is genuine so we are able to trust the government system,” he said.
Meanwhile, schools in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville that wanted to impose project fees would have to identify the proposed project and set out its costs and make a submission to the Bougainville education board for approval, chief executive officer Bruno Babato said.
He said the maximum amount for project fees was K200.
“We do not allow schools to collect money from parents unless they justify to us why they intend to do so,” Babato said.
“If we approve their projects, then we will monitor them so they do not fall out of line.”
To date, no schools in Bougainville have come forward with their proposals for project fees and last year saw only five schools impose such fees.
In East New Britain, the project fee approved by the provincial education board was set at K200 maximum and schools that have not had their project fee proposal approved would not have project fees.
West New Britain education adviser Melchior Babo said the provincial education board approved pro­ject fees: elementary K50-K100, primary and secondary K200 or less.