Papua New Guinea’s seven mainline churches are urging the government to do a separate budget allocation from the education department in next year’s National Budget.
This concern was raised after lack of funds was received by the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches for church run schools in the country.
The country’s National Budget for the education sector goes through the education department but funds allocated for church run schools have never made it to these schools.
Churches run most of the schools in the country and under the Education Act, the government is supposed to give church run schools grant in aid, these aids for the past eight years have not been made possible.
Last year when the 2020 National Budget was passed, nearly K5 million kina was allocated to the education department, this money however was not shared equally with church run schools and institutions.
Chairman of Churches Education Council and National Catholic Education Secretary Michael Ova said that the churches are now partnering with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Aid in this consultative workshop to help the PNG Council of Churches.
This workshop will help PNGCC come up with a long term framework which will enable them to work more effective with the department of education and the government to get some of these issues sorted out so the church grants can flow smoothly in the years to come.
By Michelle Steven, EMTV News, Port Moresby
