Prime Minister Peter O'Neill upset over delay in payments of Free Education Funds to schools4/11/2015 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has promised to sort out discrepancies in the payment of the Government subsidy to some schools which have now been closed, or facing closure, because of a lack of funds.
He warned public servants involved in the distribution of the tuition fee-free subsidies to do their jobs properly “or get out of the way”. He was responding to the closure of three schools in Madang, and the threat by many others around the country to suspend classes when the second term resumes on April 20, if the State financial help was not forthcoming. “This level of incompetence and mismanagement by our officials cannot be excused or tolerated,” he said. “I know funds for the first half of year totalling over K300 million was released for school fees. I do not want to hear excuses that just give people and officials reason to divert or misuse money meant for educating our children. “If any official is not able to do the job that they are paid to do, they must get out of the way. I want to assure our children, parents and their schools that I will sort this out over the next few days.” He said during a graduating ceremony at the University of PNG yesterday the Government had over the past three years invested close to K6 billion in education. “This includes funding for free education – which has enabled close to a million extra children into classrooms,” he said. “Sadly today, we hear and read about schools not receiving sufficient funds to keep schools open. This is despite the fact that we have successfully funded the schools in the last three years.” He said the nation “must be bold enough to admit that there has been very modest progress (in education” made in the past 40 years”. “As a result of many years of neglect, our people are largely uneducated or semi-educated, and without skills that would give them better opportunities in their lives,” he said. “Our education institutions are run down. Our standards are falling and are in need of urgent intervention. “The world has changed – and our nation must adapt or we will feel the consequences of inaction.” O’Neill told UPNG staff and students that the Government planned to upgrade infrastructure on campus. “Our students will move into new accommodation - 4,000 rooms right after the Pacific Games,” he said. “We will introduce an exchange programme to encourage leading teaching professionals from around the world to come and teach at our university so they can get better experience. “To achieve this, our Government will invest K100 million over the next two years at this university to upgrade infrastructure development and improve academic standards.”
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