Inconsistency in payments to schools worries principals

PRINCIPALS of two secondary schools in East Sepik are concerned about the Government’s inconsistent payment of funds to schools, with allocations for last year yet to be fully paid.
Brandi Secondary School head teacher Anthony Boiefin said the school last year had to operate on a credit basis amounting to K300,000 because the Government had not released funds for terms three and four.
He is requesting the Government to pay this outstanding amount first so that the school’s debts can be paid before the new academic year starts this month.
Education Minister Jimmy Uguro, who recently announced the payment of K316million to schools for the first two terms of 2022, said yesterday that the Government had paid K150million last month to schools for the final two terms of 2021.
Brandi Secondary, a boarding school for boys and girls, is located east of Wewak town.
It has a roll of around 800 students and operates on an annual budget of K2.5million.
Boiefin said the school should have received K654,874 last year but only got K326,208.
“Nobody, even our teachers, students and parents know the pressure (principals) endure to make sure the school remains open throughout the year,” he said.
He said he needed the K300,000 to pay the school’s 2021 debt.
Mercy Secondary School principal Alexander Marcus said running a boarding school was expensive.
Marcus said the school had to depend on project fees paid by parents.
“We have the school mess to cater for, accommodation facilities to maintain, security, electricity and other administrative operations that need funds to manage,” he said.