Parents told not to pay school fees as gov’t releases SSP1 b for free primary education

Parents told not to pay school fees as gov’t releases SSP1 b for free primary education
Minister of General Education and Instruction Awut Deng Acuil (centre) inspects books at the Rak Media premises in Konyo Konyo, Juba, on Wednesday, February 10. [Sheilla Ponnie, City Review]

​Parents with children in primary schools have been told not to pay a dime as the government prepares to disburse one billion pounds to schools across the country.

This comes after the Ministry of finance and planning released money to the ministry of education and general instruction to support free primary education.

“All recipient public schools of this grant must not request parents to pay fees for registration of the children or demand any other payments from parents,” Awut Deng Acuil, minister of General Education said in a circular seen by The City Review Digital.

The first batch was released this week with the ministry of education set to the capitation grant to all government schools in the states and administrative areas.

Acuil warned that all schools must use the money wisely, adding that those will misuse the funds will be will not benefit from the subsequent grants.

“Schools are advised to use the capitation grants’ payment guidelines, in using the funds with

She added​​

She added that the cash will be directed only to primary schools with the second tier expected to benefit from donor funds.

“Our UK partners would simultaneously pay capitation grants to the state secondary schools and the funds would be paid directly to schools through the bank accounts,” added Acuil.

This release of funds follows the order by President Slava Kiir last week to ministries of education, finance, and development partners to implement the constitutional requirement of free education in all public schools.

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