REMOTE SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE HIGHER FUNDING THAN URBAN SCHOOLS:DEKENA

0

THE Education Minister Lucas Dekena has recently announced that remote schools in the country will receive higher funding than town and city schools as per the new 2 Free Education Policy.

Minister Dekenai further explained trhat schools in the country will now be funded based on their remoteness and accessibility according to the PNG Access Remote Index (PARI), which determined school funding based on geographical accessibility.

This approach ensures that schools in remote areas, such as Rossel Island, receive higher funding compared to urban centers like Port Moresby. “I have approved this because it is more equitable.

This reform is guaranteed under the new 2025 Free Education Policy is the adoption of the PNG Access Remote Index (PARI).

Education Minister Lucas Dekena made this announcement during the declaration of the Marape/Rosso Government’s 2025 Free Education Policy, which highlights significant reforms aimed at achieving equitable education access across Papua New Guinea.

Speaking at a media conference, Dekena noted that since 2012, tuition fee grants were allocated uniformly without accounting for regional disparities. “In 2025, this policy will change to pay student’ fees based on locality,” he announced.

The Department of Education’s 2024 Unit Cost study categorized schools into six levels of accessibility: Highly Accessible, Accessible, Moderately Accessible, Remote, Very Remote, and Extremely Remote.

The 2025 policy includes two core components: an 80% allocation for school operational grants and a 20% commodity component to support science, mathematics, and basic school materials.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *