Education Minister declares that no students be sent home due to school fees

THE Minister for Education (MEHRD) declared in parliament that students should not be sent home.

This statement was in response to a question from the member of parliament of Aoke Langalanga.

Hon Mathew Wale raised the question in parliament highlighting fee charges resulted students of basic education being sent home for not meeting the requirements.

“Obviously many authority and schools not comply with the minimum and maximum range, those not comply they what Ministry do about it or re-course of parents especially basic education where free education policy apply,” Mr Wale said.

Minister for MEHRD, Hon Moffat Fugui replied adamantly stressing that students of both primary and secondary schools in Solomon Islands should not be sent home despite high fee charges.

He said parents and school administration must dialogue and negotiate to ensure students resume their education and slowly pay school fees.

“This one fringe on the basic education free education policy, at the moment until we put our Acts together in terms of study found we will address it fully but the key thing is students should not sent back home,” Mr Fugui said.

Mr Fugui highlighted maximum school fee paid in primary is $200, junior secondary schools maximum $600, senior maximum $600 to $5,000.

In education Act under section 40(2) it stated that no Education Authority shall charge fees at any school for which it is responsible without having received prior approval of the Minister to the level of such fees.

It further stated the Minister may make rules for the application of the fees charged.

In private primary schools fee ranging from $200 minimum to $5,000 maximum followed by international school fee charges around $16,000 and Early Childhood $100 minimum and $3,000 maximum.