20 per cent.
Labasa Sangam College treasurer Kansami Naicker made this known during a briefing with Education Minister Premila Kumar at the Labasa College on Thursday night.
“This year’s (2021) education grant for our school was deducted by 20 per cent,” he said.
“If this can be reinstated as it helps us achieve our projects in school.”
Surprised at this, Mrs Kumar said this should never have happened.
“As far as I know and you all know that we have had our revised budget and there were no deductions whatsoever on the grants or to the whole education sector, zero deductions,” she said.
“I’ve been checking with some school heads and they have received their full grant. As far as the ministry is concerned, we have dispersed all the funding for the school year of 2021, which ends in April this year.”
Mrs Kumar urged school management officials to contact their heads of schools if they faced similar issues.
“Before I left for Vanua Levu, I checked with the finance team and the grants have been fully paid out to all schools. If there is any other problem with other schools who have not received, then your heads of schools are to contact us immediately.”
However, yesterday afternoon, the school management informed this newspaper that part of the 20 per cent had been reinstated.
