Education allocated $964.4M

The Ministry of Education has been allocated a total budget of $964.4 million in the 2017-2018 budget.

The increase of $223.8 million will fund the 200 additional primary school teachers and 50 new secondary school teachers next year.

Teachers and staff of the Ministry of Education will also have an increase of salaries as a result of the Job Evaluation Exercise conducted as part of Civil Service Reforms.

A new government initiative will also allow first degree graduates to be given $300 as one-off start-up allowance to assist them prepare for job interviews.

This initiative applies to graduates with household income less than $30,000, and who are registered with the National Employment Centre and have yet to find employment.

The total allocation for Tertiary Education Loans Scheme is $196.4 million with an increase of $81.1 million compared to last year.

Some other new initiatives will allow students to repeat units and change their programme of study but they can only repeat their unit once.

$18.3 million is allocated to introduce incidental and book allowances for TELS students at $1,000 per annum or at least $500 per semester or $333 per trimester.

Allowances will be paid to TELS students during semester breaks so students enrolled in semester based courses will now receive an allowance of $6,600 per year or $3,000 per semester.

Students under TELS in technical colleges will now receive allowance payments.

The government has also allocated $9.2 million for students who have passed Year 12 and therefore meet the minimum requirements for certain engineering courses at FNU to also access TELS.