A school principal has questioned education authorities why primary schools have missed out on the second payment of their bi-annual grants this year, saying this has robbed primary school students, parents and teachers of a proper and formal closing this year.
The principal, who wished to remain anonymous, told Solomon Star last week this was the first-time primary schools had been left out of the bi-annual payments.
‘It is unfair and is contrary to what the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development, Lanelle Tanagada, had told the nation. She said that schools had ended the year successfully,” the principal of a Honiara school, said.
“The fact of the matter is that not all schools had ended the year successfully.’
The principal said while secondary schools were paid their bi-annual grants, primary schools never received their share.
“As a result, primary schools never ended their year in the usual way. For example, there were no prize-giving ceremonies at all to mark the formal ending of this year. In that regard, primary schools never ended their school year in a successful way,” the principal said.
“It robed students and their parents the opportunity for parents to witness how successful or otherwise they had performed academically in the 2022 school year.
“It is my hope that the Ministry does not allow this to happen again in the future. It is unfair on primary students who worked just as hard during the year in the hope of their efforts being recognized.
“They were disappointed in much the same way that we, as teachers were,” the principal said.
Bi-annual grants are paid to schools twice a year based on each school’s enrolments. This year only secondary schools received the second payments, according to the principal.
Primary schools were left out altogether, he said.
By Alfred Sasako
