More than a thousand students at a school in Port Vila face being banned from school over unpaid school fees.
Photo: RNZ / Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor
The principal of Freshwota Bilingual School Manses Kalo said they must pay up before school starts on 4 February or face being barred from returning.
Mr Kalo said he had a long waiting list of students wanting to attend and wouldn't hesitate to take on those with a sound history of paying their fees.
He said the school council puts out reminders to parents to make sure they settle their children's school fees but with no success.
There are 1765 students at the primary school and Mr Kalo said there were plans to reduce numbers by 125 students to ensure they get a quality education.
Rush for student IDs in Vanuatu
Meanwhile, people in Port Vila have been rushing to apply for ID cards for their children before the start of the school year.
The new national requirement requires all students to carry identity cards when going to school.
Our correspondent in Port Vila said parents and their children were flooding the Civil Status Office to apply for their identity cards before 4 February.