Education Minister Lucas Dekena recently announced that remote schools in the country will receive greater support financially as part of the Marape/Rosso Government’s 2025 Free Education Policy. This geographically influenced reform uses the PNG Access Remote Index (PARI) to distribute funds, enabling remote schools to obtain necessary resources in order to provide quality education to students. Dekena said this is due to the 2012 tuition fee grants that were distributed evenly without taking into consideration the accessibility of schools in different locations. “This policy will adjust to reflect the locality of schools in 2025," he said. Based on a study conducted by the 2024 Department of Education, schools were categorized into six groups of accessibility: Highly Accessible, Accessible, Moderately Accessible, Remote, Very Remote and Extremely Remote. With this information, schools in hard-to-reach locations will receive more financial support compared to urban schools in the Nation’s Capital. He said 80% of funds allocated will be strictly for operational grants, while 20% will cater for essential science and mathematics resources. Furthermore, project fees will proceed to be supported beneath the K160 million Family Assistance Package, with grants straightforwardly distributed into school accounts. Schools must also have the approval of the Provincial or National Education Board prior to collecting any additional parental contributions for projects. The Minister strongly advised school leaders to be responsible while managing government funds and encouraged collaboration with local authorities to address specific needs, such as boarding costs in both the high and secondary schools.