Education gets K25mil in TFF payments

THE Education Department has received K25 million in Tuition Fee Free (TFF) payments for schools, according to Education secretary Uke Kombra.
“This is part of the second-quarter TFF disbursement for this year,” he said in statement.
Kombra said the money was being processed for payment to provincial high and secondary schools, national high schools and vocational centres next week.
“Meanwhile, the elementary, primary and community schools’ TFF payments had been credited to their respective bank accounts on June 11,” Kombra said.
“The total amount of the payment is K55 million and it includes the outstanding payments of term one as well.
“So far in 2019, the Education Department through the Government’s TFF policy, has paid a total of K235 million and this includes the two payments of K100 million and K55 million in term one and K55 million for elementary, primary and community schools.
“The outstanding balance for term two is K75 million and it will be paid to schools once the funding is made available.”
Kombra urged head teachers, principals and boards of management to budget and spend the money wisely so it can last until the next payment is received. Kombra thanked the government of former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for prioritising TFF since 2012.
He also expressed similar appreciation to the Marape Government in continuing to support the TFF policy.
“We look forward to working with the new government to uphold the policy and make it better for the benefit of the children of this country, especially with respect to the call for quality education,” Kombra said.
Meanwhile, vendors continue to sell food to students despite a directive from the Education Department to ban vendors selling food and other items in and around school premises
National Capital District senior school inspector Elizabeth Kosi said principals, head teachers, and teachers in NCD schools had complied with the instruction from the secretary since last year to ban vending at schools.
Kosi said vendors were continuing to sell outside schools and that was now the responsibility of the National Capital District Commission to address.
“The directive has been implemented in all schools, when you go to schools now you will not see vendors selling inside, but they are still selling outside the fence,” Kosi said.