Project fees debacle a disgrace

 THE media statement by acting Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra retracting the ministerial directive for schools to charge project fees must concern the O’Neill Government over its genuineness to provide quality education.

The fact that schools are charging fees way above the prescribed fees by the National Education Board and the willingness of many parents to pay fees in defiance of Kombra’s instruction to put on hold payment of fees, is testimony of the failure of the Government’s TFF policy.

I maintain that the Government has done more damage to our children’s education through the department’s mishandling the TFF policy.

It is my view that there are schools that have fabricated student exam marks just to get them to continue in the education process. 

These students will have a hard time in the next levels of education because of their poor performances .

Some schools could not keep power and water running due to funding problems which affected printing and administration of assessment items.

The Government must admit now that it cannot afford the TFF policy in its entirety and let parents pay some fees to keep the schools running and save the children’s education. 

The small intermittent instalment payments the government is employing now in remitting school fess are not good for planning on the part of school principals.

Manning Forepe

Lae