Don’t send students away: Official

INCOMPLETE payment of school project fees in Morobe does not warrant a student to be sent home, says Morobe acting education adviser Keith Tangui.
“Lessons have been missed when teaching and learning for students and teachers have been disrupted this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so sending students away for over such issues is not right,” Tangui said.
He said while the majority of the schools were receiving their government tuition fee subsidies and collecting parental support fees, these should warrant the operations of the school to run smoothly.
“If school administrations are able to manage their operations carefully and spending is done on limited essential areas, they should have enough to keep the operations of the school going till the end of the year,” Tangui said.
Tangui advised principals of secondary and high schools in Morobe that they should consult his office before sending students home.
A high school principal sent grade nine students home because parents had not completed paying their fees for this year.
Lae Secondary School principal said a conference recently resolved maintain the provincial education board’s approved fees payment of 50 per cent to be paid by parents.