MOST newly established community and primary schools in Malaita risk closing their doors early this year due to delays to release their annual school grants.
According to reports received by the Solomon Star in Auki, up to 20 primary and community high schools are at the risk of closing after the June mid-year exams.
This is because they’ve already run out of funds and the grants they expect to receive to continue operating their schools are not forthcoming from the Ministry of Education in Honiara.
Some schools are said to have faced difficulty in having their exams due to lack of stationeries.
“We have yet to have our mid-year exams because we do not have any stationary to facilitate such,” a teacher from Aimela Community High School, said.
“Even us teachers do not have any resources, something that we should have easily purchased had our school grants are given us,” he added.
“We will most likely close for the 2014 academic year if our school grants are not released to us.
“Without it, where else can we get the money to run our schools?
“This is totally contradictory to the NCRA Government’s Millennium Goals, where it states that students acquire good quality education.
“Without these resources, how can we as faithful teachers and also schools give quality education to our students if we ourselves don’t have the resources and necessities necessary to achieving this?” another teacher said.
When asked on the matter, the Ministry of Education confirmed that it had already instructed the Ministry of Finance to process the payments (grants) for all schools.
But it’s understood all payments have been delayed at the Ministry of Finance.
By JEREMY INIFIRI
in Auki