Education is key: PM

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says education is the first priority in the Ialibu-Pangia district of Southern Highlands.
He said this was demonstrated by another K500,000 of the  District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) funding being committed to education in the district with the new Apenda High School.
O’Neill said this during the ground-breaking ceremony at the school last weekend.
“The People’s National Congress Party-led Government is fully committed to Tuition-Fee-Free education policy and to build education from the grassroots level up,” he said.
“Our Government will continue to invest in education in all the provinces in the country, and Apenda High School is no different as it is the future of our children.
“Free education, alongside universal healthcare, will continue after the 2017 national election as we are confident we will return to form government in August.
“Our Government will make sure we remove the burden on parents and continue with free education.
“People campaigning against our Government want to get rid of free education and healthcare, and this will affect our people.
“Education and healthcare should not be used to play politics like our opponents are trying to do.
“I want to warn you, the people of our nation, the first thing a different government will do after the 2017 national election is to make you pay school fees for your child’s education.
“A different government will abandon Tuition-Fee-Free education and this will place burden on every family in our country.
“I challenge the parties not committed to education to think twice as the people have given the People’s National Congress their support for free education.
“If our opponents have their way, free education will be gone and our children will not have a bright future.”
O’Neill commended the people and community leaders of Apenda and the Ialibu-Pangia District for investing in education using the DSIP funds to build new and maintain existing schools.