The Minister of General Education and Instruction on Thursday announced that the Ministry of Finance and Planning had paid the first tranche of the capitation grant amounting to SSP 1 billion to schools.

Speaking at a media briefing at the education ministry headquarters in Juba, Minister Awut Deng Acuil said the released funds will cater to free primary and secondary education announced by President Salva Kiir earlier this month.

“I am pleased to inform the general public that the ministry of finance and planning has paid the first tranche of the capitation grant, an amount of SSP 1 billion SSP,” she said. “This release of the fund follows the republican order on 6 February directing the ministry of general education and instruction, ministry of finance and planning and development partners to implement the constitutional requirement for free education in all public schools.”

Deng revealed that her ministry, with support from the United Kingdom government, is now processing payment of the capitation grants to all the government-owned primary schools.

“We are now processing payment of capitation grants to all the state primary schools. Our United Kingdom partners will simultaneously pay capitation grants to the state schools,” she said. “The funds will be paid directly to schools through their bank accounts.”

Deng urged school administrators to use the capitation grants and provide accountability, warning that schools will not receive more money if they fail to account.

“Schools are expected to use the capitation grant payment guidelines outlined in the enclosed document in using the funds. Schools that do not follow the guidelines for the use of capitation grants will be penalized,” she warned. “More importantly, all recipients of these grants must not request parents to pay fees for registration of the children or demand any other payments from parents.”