Fees abolished in Vanuatu's primary schools

Last Updated: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:55:00 +1000

Vanuatu's government is to offer free primary school education in a move it hopes will improve literacy rates.

The government has acknowledged many children are not attending school because their parents cannot afford the fees.

Vanuatu's Ministry of Education estimates 40 per cent of children in the country's rural areas are not attending primary school.

The Education Ministry's Roy Obed says the government will subsidise primary education school fees with financial assistance from Australia and New Zealand from next year.

"The government, through the ministry of education, has an objective within the one voter education sector action plan to provide assistance to parents so that more children can go to school," he said.