BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of the Official Parliamentary Opposition Group, Matthew Wale, says free education is achievable if it becomes a clear focus and priority of the government.
Wale said the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) and its coalition partners, known as CARE, have adopted free education as one of their flagship policies and remain committed to delivering it.
Speaking on the second episode of Insight, Wale said the coalition is confident it can implement the policy if given the opportunity.
“I think free education is achievable, and the coalition of SIDP and CARE is committed to it. We remain committed to free education. We believe we can deliver it,” he said.
Wale explained that free education is fundamentally about ensuring access to education for all children. He said this requires removing the obstacles that prevent children from attending school.
“Part of those obstacles are school fees, uniforms, and other associated costs,” he said.
He added that the key question is how to rationalize and address these barriers by identifying all factors that prevent children from attending classes.
Wale said one approach would be for the government to borrow funds to invest in education infrastructure, including classrooms, science laboratories, technical facilities, and school equipment.
He said government borrowing for infrastructure development could help reduce the financial burden on parents.
While parents can still contribute to school development, Wale stressed that such contributions must not become barriers to children’s access to education.
He said a deeper understanding of the free education policy adopted by SIDP and CARE will highlight its importance and its potential to move the country beyond the current education status quo.
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