The Vanuatu Ministry of Education has denied claims it has not been supportive of scholarship students sent to the University of South Pacific in Suva.
The Scholarship Office announced last month the termination of about twenty scholarships because of students' poor performance in the first semester.
The Daily Post reported that the Scholarship Office had ignored a provision in the contract which exempts first year students from termination.
It reported that students arrived at the campus two weeks late, with no text book allowances, which contributed to their failing some courses.
But the director general of education, Yoan Noel Mariasua, says the claims are ill-informed.
Mr Mariasua says the ministry made a decision in early August that all first year students would continue studying in the second semester, regardless of whether they failed courses.
He says other scholarships were terminated because of information from USP that students were not handing in assignments or showing up to class.
He says the Vanuatu Scholarship Office met with the students to tell them they would be withdrawn if their grades did not improve.
