MP stops paying fees
The National, Friday July 3rd, 2015
By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Kainantu District Development Authority has stopped paying school fees for its students in tertiary institutions because of abuses, MP Johnson Tuke says.
Tuke opened a new building at Teumpinka Primary School in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, which cost around K70,000, using funds from the tuition fee-free subsidy.
The school, located in the Agarabi local level government next to Kainantu town, is a level-five school with 600-plus students and 16 teachers.
Tuke spent K2.5 million last year to pay for the tuition fees of Kainantu students studying in tertiary institutions.
But he said they had abused the system by allowing others to get educated using the district funds.
“The girls brought in their boyfriends and the boys brought in their girlfriends to use the funds allocated by Kainantu district,” Tuke said.
“These friends are from other places and not from Kainantu. Therefore it is not right.”
He said some parents were taking advantage of the situation and were spending recklessly.
He said the District Development Authority had allocated more funds to the Kainantu High School but only two students managed to reach university.
“This is not good. It shows that students are playing up and not taking their studies seriously,” Tuke said.