IT has surfaced that overseas scholarships for next year, 2018 will perhaps be reduced.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Permanent Secretary highlighted this during last week’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing.

“As of next year, we would like to see reduction in the number of scholarship that will be available to students wanting to go overseas,” the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Franco Rodie said.

He said the government sends students to regional universities such as in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and lately in the Philippines based on the opportunity list and the skills that are required to attain

The education permanent secretary said the government is committing largely towards the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) to cater for students.

He emphasized that the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) must continue to develop courses and programmes to prepare skilled people that the country needs.

“Let’s take stock of the courses and programmes that our students go over to the regional universities to take,”   Dr Rodie said.

He sternly warn leaders not to interfere in the scholarship system and let the Ministry do its job.

Dr Rodie has revealed that scholarship and payroll received most of the allocated funding in the 2016 budget.

Responding to reports that claim Fiji students are to defer studies, the permanent secretary he was assured by the ministry of Finance that there will be enough finance to support the students who are currently on scholarship in Fiji.

“But those that did not perform will be recalled.

“The problem only happens in Fiji, our students are not performing, but in other institutions such as in Papua New Guinea our students are performing very well,” he said.

He said in PNG institutions, rules are really tough and universities assess students’ GPA and if students are found below the expected GPA, concerned students will not continue.