Parents feel the pinch of back-to-school shopping

The National Main Stories

By JUNIOR UKAHA
STUDENTS and parents are busy preparing for the start of classes next week by shopping for uniforms and stationery.
Henry Hegali, a parent from Yanga village, Morobe, who accompanied his children to buy their uniforms at the PC Woo Trading in Top Town, Lae, said the prices had slightly increased from last year.
Hegali and his wife were looking for uniforms for daughter Lina, 14, who attends Bowali Primary School, and son Pandrang, 9, who attends Yanga Elementary School.
He is also preparing to pay school fees.
“They say education is free but we are advised to pay some fees,” he said.
“We were told that grades 7 and 8 will pay K300 and elementary students will pay K150. We also paid school fees last year.”
Morobe programme adviser for education Keith Jiram earlier said parents would have to pay a certain component of fees known as the “parents’ support fees” because many schools did not receive their Tuition Free-Fee (TFF) funds on time.
Jiram said the Morobe education board had agreed on the following fees:

  • Elementary schools K100;
  • primary schools K200;
  • high schools K300, and
  • Tvet schools K250.

“The PEB has not changed the fees and has allowed parents to pay the same fees charged last year,” Jiram said.