BY JOY OFASIA
The MP for South Choiseul MP Hon. Tozen Leokana has warned that the Government’s plan to introduce a nationwide Free Education Policy in 2027 could put further pressure on Solomon Islands’ already stretched school infrastructure. Speaking in Parliament during the Fourth Meeting of the First Session of the Twelfth Parliament, Leokana highlighted infrastructure strain as one of the major implications of the Government’s proposed education policy.
Leokana said the country’s school system was already unevenly distributed, under-resourced and facing infrastructure challenges. He warned that the removal of school fees could trigger a sharp increase in enrolment as families previously unable to afford school fees, boarding, uniforms or transport seek to send their children to school. Leokana referred to international experiences in countries including Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, where enrolment increased significantly following the removal of school fees. He said schools without adequate preparation had faced overcrowded classrooms, multiple shifts and temporary arrangements. “A fee-free policy without an infrastructure schedule is not an education plan. It is a crowd-management plan,” Leokana told Parliament.
He said the Government would need to expand infrastructure beyond classrooms, including teacher houses, dormitories, sanitation facilities, water tanks, kitchens, boat sheds and transport infrastructure, particularly in rural and remote communities. Leokana called on the Ministers responsible for Education and Infrastructure Development to provide Parliament with a national school infrastructure rollout plan for 2026, 2027 and 2028. He said the plan should clearly identify the number of new facilities required by province, education. authority and school.
Leokana stressed that his concerns were not about opposing free education, but ensuring that increased access was matched by adequate infrastructure. “The alternative is a promise that is honoured on paper and dishonoured in the classroom,” he said. The Government has committed to implementing the Free Education Policy nationwide in 2027, with approximately SBD1.4 billion allocated to education in 2026.
