Schools warned against bribery

THE Morobe education division is discouraging principals, teachers and division officers from accepting bribes from parents to enroll students.
The division wants enrolment for only students who are selected on merit and it must be free from corruption.
Acting provincial programme adviser Keith Jiram has reminded and issued a warning to principals not to accept “freebies” from parents as conditions for enrolling students.
He said selections for students to high and secondary schools approved by provincial education board (PEB) were final.
“This is especially if the list of grade 9 students going to high school is final,” Jiram said.
“We are discouraging head teachers and principals from accepting bribes.
“I’m appealing to parents that if anyone in a school is requesting money for facilitating enrolment of your child, please report him or her to the education division.
“Those that already paid money for processing enrollment must report it.
“Parents must also register their children at schools that they have been officially selected to.
“They should not choose schools at their own will and take students to.
“Register your children at schools they got offers to attend.
“You’ll cause inconvenience when you try to push them somewhere they have not been selected to.
“The process of enrolment must be corruption-free.”
Jiram said schools must not add or remove students from lists approved by PEB.
The division also discouraged schools from charging parents fees for getting transfer certificates.
Jiram has called on schools not to reject students’ enrolment for none or part payment of on-registration and parent support fees (PSF).
“Head teachers and principals must not send students away for not paying or have partly paid the registration or PSF,” he said.
“Those parents who have an outstanding with a school must cooperate with administration to settle the payment.”