Uproar over island’s K800 project fees

By DOROTHY MARK
TWO schools on Karkar Island have been charging students K800 in project fees to help teachers get paid.
Dangsai High and Karkar Secondary were charging the project fees even though Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra said the instruction was clear that education was free and high project fees should not be imposed.
Sumkar MP Chris Nangoi said Kombra assured him that schools on the island charging fees would be investigated.
Dangsai deputy principal Kenny Tart said 10 out of 12 teachers on the island have not received their salaries since 2016 and that has forced them to charge K800 project fees so that teachers can be paid.
Parents have no choice but pay or see their children sent home.
The Madang education office said headmasters and principals who were charging school and project fees would be penalised by the Education Department for defying Government instructions.
The office received complaints from parents that some schools in the province were charging school and project fees while others were sending children away for not paying.
The tuition fee free (TFF) education coordinator for Madang, Iogurua Dorea, said charging fees was illegal and schools or head teachers found doing so would be penalised.
He said that under the TFF programme, the schools are free for students to attend.
Dorea said the school may also have its TFF funds put on hold.
He said Madang has received its funds for the first quarter of the year.
Dorea said parents who had paid up should go back to the school and ask for reimbursements or take the receipt to the education office so he could help them get their money back.