BY CAMPION OHASIO – DIGITAL CREATOR
If you are a fee-paying parent in the Solomon Islands like me, you know the deep stress of school fee day. Whether you run a small market stall in Gizo, farm cocoa in Guadalcanal, or work in Honiara, saving up for school fees every term is an uphill battle. When the GREAT Coalition govt. launched its policy statement, its flagship promise caught everyone’s attention: Universal Free Education.
Naturally, parents and community leaders including many around the country are asking big, practical questions. How is the government going to pay for this massive plan? Is free education actually new in our country, or have we heard this before? And can our government really pull this off?
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘃𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘆.
To prevent confusion and stop hidden school fees from creeping back in, the policy framework makes a clear distinction between what the government covers and what parents provide.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗦𝗜𝗚) 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝘆:
1. Tuition Fee: The core cost of instruction in the classroom [127].
2. Registration Fee: The official enrollment fee required at the start of the school year.
3. Transfer Fee: Administrative costs when a student moves between schools.
4. Development Fee: Charges meant for building and maintaining school facilities.
5. National Exam Fee: Official fees for sitting national secondary and primary examinations.
6. Stationaries: Essential learning tools like exercise books, pencils, and classroom materials.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘆:
1. Food: Daily meals and lunches for children.
2. Clothes: School uniforms and daily wear.
3. Busfare: Daily transport costs to get kids to and from school.
4. Personal School Needs: Personal hygiene items, bags, and individual study needs.
As a fee-paying parent, this clear division is a massive relief. By taking over tuition, registration, development, exam, and stationery costs, the government removes the heaviest financial barriers to education. Parents can focus their hard-earned money on keeping their children healthy, fed, clothed, and safely transported.
