Free Education Grant delay impacts classroom teaching - Manumanunitoga

Fiji Teachers Association General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga says when the grants are not released on time, the heads of schools have to fork out money from their pocket and pay the support staff their wages from their own pockets.

Manumanunitoga says these heads of schools, principals and headteachers, and families are affected because they want their schools to operate and function as well.

He says the Ministry keeps promising them that the grant would be released sometime later.

Manumanunitoga is also questioning why there is a delay in the release of grants and is the Ministry of Finance causing the problem or is it because of the differences between the two most senior positions in the Ministry.

He says they are deeply worried about what is going to happen and the effect is trickling down to the students.

Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, Selina Kuruleca says for Term 2, 90.65 percent was paid for the primary school, 94.32 percent for the secondary and the Early Childhood fully paid.

Kuruleca says for Term 3, 29.90 percent paid for Early Childhood, 83.6 percent for primary school and 82.39 percent for secondary.

The Permanent Secretary says there is a whole compliance process that must be adhered and as soon as this is cleared and all vendor information as per new FMIS requirements is met, payments are processed.