25 Jul 2011

No school fees for children affected by cyclones in Vanuatu's Tafea province

7:39 pm on 25 July 2011

Vanuatu's Council of Ministers has formally agreed to provide about 600 thousand US dollars to cover school fees for parents in Tafea province which was affected by two devastating cyclones, Atu and Vania, early this year.

The damages caused by the cyclones have forced the government to cover their children's school fees for the second term.

The money had been promised earlier but the government's failure to pay had meant some schools sent students home.

The prime minister, Sato Kilman, visited Tafea last week and he was presented with a petition detailing the concerns of school principals and parents over the lack of money.

He assured them the promised funding was on its way.

The two cyclones damaged crops such as oranges, yams and kava which are the main source of income for the people of Tafea.