By SHEILA LASIBORI
TEACHERS in flood-devastated Oro province will not be penalised if they report to their respective schools and postings after today, a week after teachers in other parts of the country began.
They have been given until April, after which time, they will be penalised.
Teaching Service Commission chairman Michael Pearson said this while responding to queries by the media regarding teachers’ resumption.
Mr Pearson said teachers would not be penalised if they resumed duties late, as the mobilisation of teachers and school materials were yet to be carried out by the Department of Education through the office of the State of Emergency (SoE) in Popondetta.
SoE controller Col Vagi Oala, while announcing the decision by the Education Department for ‘free education’ in the province, said the SoE and the Education Department were making every effort to restore schools in the province.
The department is also yet to establish the total cost for ‘free education’ in the province.
The six sites identified for Grade 9 classes are Tufi (Ajoa), Oro Bay (Ambasi/Inonda), Kokoda, Higaturu, Afore, Martyr’s and Popondetta Secondary.
New Grade 11 intakes from Embogo and Bareji will attend classes at Martyr’s and Popondetta Secondary.
Meanwhile, several parents have expressed gratitude to the Education Department for its decision as most parents were reportedly struggling to find money for their children’s school fees.
Helen Savedari from Gona, a mother of six and grandmother of four and living in Popondetta town with her family, said: “We are all very happy, especially those in the villages have been struggling to sell their dry coconuts for their children’s school fees.”
Sr Morva Oipotti, from Eastern Highlands province and the officer in charge of St Margaret Health Centre at Oro Bay said her three children would be in Grades 6, 5 and elementary respectively and the ‘free education’ would help her and other parents.
“The parents have no money and they are continuously asking relatives in other provinces to provide money so they could buy food to eat.
“Free education is reasonable and should continue,” she said.