PNG Education Secretary warns schools for overcharging project fees

The Papua New Guinea Education Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra has issued a warning to schools throughout the country, not to overcharge parents and students project fees.

Dr. Kombra told NBC News that, Schools found not complying and overcharging fees, upon being reported to the Department will be investigated and penalized.

 The maximum amount of project fee to be paid is 20% of the total school fees for a particular student in the various grades.

Dr. Kombra's call comes at the back of reports of some schools doing such due to the delay in the disbursement of Tuition Fee-Free funds.

He explains the process by which projects get approval and eventually warranting project fees to be paid.

''A project that is identified by the school and is agreed to by the parents, it then goes before the school board for approval, then it goes to the provincial education board and then the PEB approves the project proposal then the school can collect the money as project fees,'' Dr. Kombra explains. 

The full tuition fees for elementary, primary and secondary schools are covered by the government.

The only exception now is the project fees which the government allows schools to charge depending on the type of projects they have in place.

Dr. Kombra says, the funds provided by the government as subsidy is not sufficient to meet the immediate needs of the schools and so project fees are charged.

The Education Secretary also says no school is allowed to deny any student entry for non-payment of fees whatsoever.

Source: NBC News/One PNG News

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