Madang’s largest primary school raises concern over delayed TFF funds

Concerns are mounting over the delayed release of Tuition Fee Free [TFF] funds as schools across the country enter their second month of the academic year.

Francis Arigini, Headmaster of Holy Spirit Primary, Madang’s largest primary school, confirmed last week that his institution has yet to receive its first-quarter allocation despite classes having commenced on January 19.

"There is no TFF in our school account," Arigini said. "This is now the fourth week of classes. It’s not only Holy Spirit; I believe many other schools are facing the same struggle."

The funding gap has left the school struggling to provide basic necessities for its 2,000 students and 62 teachers. According to Arigini, the school is currently unable to purchase stationery or address urgent needs for furniture and classroom maintenance.

The Madang Provincial Education Board (PEB) has authorized a K205 parental contribution to keep the school operational. Arigini clarified that this is neither a formal school fee nor a government-mandated parental component, but rather an emergency support payment to ensure the school year can begin.

"Parents understand our struggle and they are paying; I thank them for that," Arigini said. "I believe parents are educated enough to see the need to assist the school when the government falls short."

The current crisis follows a difficult 2025, during which Holy Spirit Primary reportedly did not receive its full entitlement.

"We missed out on the second and third quarter TFF funding for last year," Arigini revealed. "We only received funds for the first and fourth quarters. We managed to survive solely because of the parents' contributions."

While the school typically expects between K80,000 and K90,000 in TFF subsidies per term, Arigini said that this is far below the actual cost of running a Level 8 institution.

He said the school requires over K600,000 annually to meet the operational needs such as electricity, water, full stationery kits, teacher housing maintenance, and classroom repairs.

"Our yearly budget is over K600,000 to meet all our bills and maintenance needs," Arigini said. "That is the reality of what we need, but normally, we don't get that money."

Despite the financial strain, the headmaster assured the public that the school remains functional for now, thanks to the partnership between the administration and the local community.