By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Ministry of Finance has announced the payment of Le 42,883,440,000 as tuition fees for children in government-owned and government-assisted primary and secondary schools across the country.
Some 1,871,188 pupils are covered as part of the government’s Free Quality Education programme.
“The Ministry wishes to further inform the public that these payments were made directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary schools based on the approved school list and enrolment data submitted by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School (MBSSE),” the statement reads.
6,343 schools will receive the payment which comes just days before the reopening of schools for candidates writing public exams.
The payment comes late in to an already disrupted academic year. The Finance Ministry said the delay was a result of the head count exercise of pupils which was undertaken by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, to validate the number of enrolment to determine the number of beneficiaries.
The government has dedicated more than 20% of its budget to the Free Quality Education program.
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