Schools waiting for TFF funds

The National Main Stories

By PATRICIA KEAMO
SCHOOLS around the country are still waiting for the Education Department to release the next batch of tuition subsidy funds which, according to secretary Dr Uke Kombra, were supposed to be paid two weeks ago.
Dr Kombra said the department was in the process of releasing K30 million to schools for the third batch of tuition subsidy funds, however, schools had yet to receive these funds.
There had been reports from schools in Port Moresby, who are struggling to stay open due to a lack of funds, and in Morobe where schools are on the verge of closure because their accounts are running out of money.
De La Salle Secondary School principal Br Anthony Pancras said the 2020 school year had so far been a difficult one administratively in light of the Covid-19.
He said they received the second batch of their subsidy payment on July 8 and the outstanding Government subsidy for the school was over K600,000. “We have only two months before the national exams and many schools are facing a lot of challenges to run the school due to insufficient finances,” he said.
Gordon Secondary School principal George Kenega said the last payment they received was in April and they had been running the school with support from parents.
“With the TFF policy, we (schools) used to receive funds on a monthly basis but since it has been replaced with the government subsidy this year, we have only received two batches of payments, one in January and the second payment in April,” he said.
Acting Education secretary for NCD Sam Lora said the Education Department was not able to provide adequately to sustain schools because of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the Government’s resources.
Attempts to get comments from Education Minister Joseph Yopyyopy and secretary Dr Uke Kombra on when the next batch of tuition subsidy payments were unsuccessful.

6 comments

  • The education secretary must explain why funds aren’t deposited in schools account when K30 000 000 was released 2 weeks ago.

  • Education Minister Joseph Yopyyopy and secretary Dr Uke Kombra think fast and act faster cause time can’t wait and also you have the power in your hands to release the money to all school

  • We experienced delays in the past and still remains the same this year. They would not care less because their children go to big private schools so no worries for them. As the slogan goes “Take Back PNG” is also all about efficient delivery of services. Not schools closing due to no funds to operate, it is taking 10 steps backward. We are a young developing nation so educating our generation is very important. Minister and the good secretary the last thing is for the MP to crack the whip. God bless PNG

  • The usual delay tactic, for what? Only they know. The students are suffering in terms of adequate resources. These buggers have to get their acts right and disburse the funds on time. Further delay is detrimental to the future of the nation.

  • The more you delay the fund is the sign of opportunist tapping into side-track the money and be remitted for personal gain. So, we want efficiency and fast delivery of those funds to the respective schools.

  • The Gov’t speaks highly about education and the action is very opposite on paying the TFF into schools accounts. Can the Hon. PM JM replace the education minister and his secretary for the long delays of paying the TFF to schools around the country? Kombra should be following up and checking the Finance Dept on that matter instead of waiting schools to start speaking out of their financial issues. Dr Uke Kombra this has being happening for far too long and I suggest you better resign for the good of our children’s future.

Comments are closed.