Jiwaka, WHP benefit from fee-free policy

By DULCIE OREKE
MOST of the 500 institutes in the Western Highlands and Jiwaka provinces have benefited from the national government’s tuition fee-free policy.
Dei district received K2,499,041 for its 56 institutes. The 89 institutes in Hagen Central shared K5,648,185.
Jimi had 37 institutes receiving K1,029,180.
Mul Baiyer-Lumusa got K2,933,935 for its 81 institutes.
The 68 institutes in North Waghi got K3,068,404. South Waghi received K4,369,371 for its 114 institutes.
Tambul-Nebilyer’s 83 institutes shared K3,118,298.
The total amount paid to the 483 institutions was
K22,666, 414.
This covers all elementary, primary, secondary and technical vocational education centres.
But statistics from the Western Highlands provincial education division showed that 45 have yet to receive their fees.
Some of the reasons given were: schools’ oversight, nil data, different account names, schools having more than one account, closed accounts, double-payment, money paid to personal or wrong accounts and ghost schools.
It was reported that two elementary schools had been receiving subsidies over the years but their locations were unknown.
One of the schools has an elementary trainer and inspector as the chairman on the board of management and his wife as the teacher in charge.