No school fees for Papua New Guineans next year

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinean students in a school class

No school fees for Papua New Guineans next year

PORT MORESBY: The Government is bringing back its free education policy next year, paying the ful tuition fees of students from pre-school to Grade 12.

Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra said it would be a relief for parents enjoyed the policy from 2012 to January last year when they were told to pay 37 per cent of tuition fees.

The welcoming news break was reported by The National:

No school fees in 2022

December 10, 2021The NationalMain Stories

Students of Salamaua Primary School reciting the national pledge at the Salamaua local level government in Morobe recently. The Government is bringing back its free education policy next year, paying the full tuition fees for students from pre-school to Grade 12. – Nationalfilepic

By JAMES GUKEN,
DWU journalism student
THE Government is bringing back its free education policy next year, paying the full tuition fees of students from pre-school to Grade 12.
Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra said it would be a relief for parents, who had been enjoying the policy since 2012 until January last year when they were told to pay 37 per cent of tuition fees.
“The increase in school fees (since January last year) has been a great challenge for parents in the period of the Coronavirus, when they had to find money to put food on the table while paying school fees. The Government’s aid would be a relief for parents next year,” he said.
The Education sector has been allocated K632 million in the 2022 national budget, compared to K486 million this year.
Students in pre-school up to Grade 12 attending government-recognised schools would be exempted from paying fees in 2022.
But Kombra said parents would still be required to pay project fees and other necessary fees required by schools.
Yesterday, former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who introduced the free education policy in 2012 and watched as his successor James Marape changed it in 2020, said it was just another election promise.
“They (Government) do not have the funding (for the tuition-fee free education),” he said.
“The PNC (People’s National Congress) had that policy for eight years. They shouldn’t have cancelled it.
“Three years of suffering. Kids and families have suffered for three years. A little bit too late.”
Dr Kombra said the education department would continue to demand more from the Government because the number of students sitting examinations was increasing every year, and the security of examination answers was a concern.
He urged the Government to continue supporting education in PNG as it was the backbone of the country.
“The measurement service division (MSD) was supposed to be given K19 million to support the Grade 10 and 12 examinations this year but was only given K16 million. The MSD managed to carry out the exams successfully,” Dr. Kombra said.

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