The Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (TELS) burden the students with a big debt even before they start to build their lives, says Unity Fiji party leader Savenaca Narube.
Responding to the recent revelation that over $571 million was owed to the Government in TELS arrears, Mr Narube said the TELS punished those students who could not meet the mark required for a scholarship.
“Unity Fiji regards education as a right of our youths, not a privilege,” he said.
“Achieving the best education of our children must not depend on the ability to pay by the parents.”
He said education was the key to breaking out of the poverty trap.
“The TELS punishes those students who fall short of the mark for toppers.
“Many of these students are from poor families.” He said they would forgive all existing debts of students on TELS.
“Unity Fiji is repeating what it said in its manifesto in 2018 that it will forgive all existing debts of TELS students.
“The annual revenue foregone will be matched by a reduction in wasteful expenditure with no impact on deficit and borrowing.”
