Remaining funds from the Free Education Grant (FEG) can be used for school-related projects.

This was clarified by the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar, while responding to queries at Labasa College, last Friday. She said schools in the country could make use of their remaining grant money to engage in purchasing, developing school-related projects and for cyclone preparations.

However, Ms Kumar said these developments should be carried out once prior approval was received from the ministry.

She said according to the ministry-approved school management handbook, schools that had 10 per cent of their FEG grant left, could keep the funds.

This was implemented to allow the school management to prepare well for possible cyclones and conduct school-related maintenance and development projects.

“We also understand the school management might want to utilise the leftover funds to carry out construction and upgrade works on their walkway area, ablution block, home economics room and other relevant school repairs,” she said.

Ms Kumar emphasised the importance of dialogue that needed to co-exist between the school committee and the ministry.

“There are schools that accumulated small amounts of money and when they had enough money, they came back to us with their proposals,” she said.

“Upon approval by our ministry, the auditors will not have an issue with the funds used for development because all prior procedures were met and accountable.”

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