PARENTS and students from Moresby North-West (MNW) have commended the Moresby North-West MP, Hon Lohia Boe Samuel for assisting them with school fees.
Lodging of applications for the school fee subsidy and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme for the district commenced on 23rd Monday, which saw students from the five wards in the district coming forward to lodge their application for the school fee program
Executive Officer for Hon Samuel, Mr Hendry Heni Toua, said the programme was an initiative by the MP to assist students from MNW district who are attending tertiary and vocational schools.
“The programme started last year and this year will be the second year for the district to assist students,” Mr Toua said.
He said last year the district allocated about K2.75 million and this year, a K2.5mil was allocated for the programme.
He said there were few requirements that the students were told to provide such as certificates, acceptance letter and a form of ID.
Mr Toua said last year they gave out forms to students to fill and bring back but it took too long so this year they gave a day each from Monday to Friday to each ward.
“From our experience last year, we gave forms out and we waited for almost two months so this year, we decided to keep the forms and they bring the requirements and we help them fill the form and lodge at the same time. So, we have five wards in the districts and so we gave them each day (Monday-Friday) to each ward to lodge their application. By next week, we will start screening the applications,” Mr Toua said.
Meanwhile a parent, Maia Morgan, when thanking Hon Samuel for the initiative said the programme is helpful as it will relieve the burden of school fees from parents.
“My daughter is attending the University of Technology (UniTech) and I pay around K12,000 a year. So, this programme will assist me a lot,” she said.
A student, Hardasha Kauron, from the University of Papua New Guinea also shared the same sentiment.
“I am grateful for the MP’s assistance as this will help us so much,” she added.
A community leader at ward 11 Joe Gombo said, the MP’s assistance is small but significant.
Mr Gombo said he had seen first hand how youths especially from his community benefited from this programme.
He said with MP’s assistance a lot of students who have dropped out of school due to school fee issues have gone back.
“The MP gives like a quarter of what parents are suppose to pay and this is so much,” Mr Gombo said.
“The amount the MP pays is enough to take them into term three.”
He commended the MP and his team for initiating the much-needed programme.
