By FRANK RAI
AT least 37,000 students in flood-devastated Oro province may not go to school next year.
Those affected would include 17,290 elementary students, 16,589 primary school students, 2,061 Grades 10 to 12 students, and 751 students at technical colleges.
This was because the 2008 academic year starts in February and this gives the people involved in the disaster relief operations about seven weeks to rebuild damaged infrastructure including classrooms, teachers’ houses and roads.
According to education authorities in Popondetta yesterday, there were 420 educational institutions ranging from elementary to secondary schools in the province hit by the flood waters.
“I am not really sure whether classes will start next year in these schools,” provincial education boss, Windsor Atarapa said.
He said the situation was still under question as his officers had yet to visit the schools to assess the situation and compile a comprehensive report for the Education Minister.
Mr Atarapa told The National that since the report was delayed, there were fears that schools in the disaster-hit areas would not be able to join the rest of the country when the new academic year starts next month.
He said education officials in the province were unable to visit the schools because they had not received funds to organise logistics.
Mr Atarapa said they would do that as soon as the Oro Disaster Committee releases fund.
He said schools were among many other educational services that were suspended by the Minister for Education, Michael Ogio last month – two weeks before the end of this year’s academic year.
He said schools would open up for enrolment until further notice was delivered by the Government.
He added that Mr Ogio and the Education Department were awaiting his report.
“We (Education authorities in Oro) have to be physically there at the schools to assess the supplies in the schools, infrastructure, materials and advice the Education Department in Port Moresby,” Mr Atarapa said.
He said currently the rehabilitation programme focused on the reconstruction of roads and bridges.
“I don’t know how fast it will be for us to get the children back to school.
“It will all depend on the men on the ground and how fast they work to rehabilitate the roads, bridges, schools and health care centres,” he added.
Mr Atarapa said parents were also concerned because they were not certain whether their children would start school with the rest of the country next year.
“We were fortunate because all the schools in the province completed their Grades 8, 10 and 12 examinations a week before the disaster.”