Parents can raise fund for schools: Teacher

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
ACCORDING to the Education Department provision, a parents and guardian association is an organisation in which parents can take lead in raising funds to assist in school projects, a headteacher says
That is what Gerehu Secondary School has been doing, they have a parents and guardian association.
Outgoing principal Martine Kenehe said: “Gerehu Secondary School parents and guardian association is raising funds towards building the staff houses.”
He said the school respected the ban from the government in collecting project fees but what was happening in the school was parents collecting money from parents and giving it to the school.
The committee is collecting K250 from parents towards building teachers houses.
“We call this parents’ fees,” Kenehe told The National.
“Parents and guardian is an entity of its own – their roles in assisting the school, their decisions does not need Education Department’s approval.
“While TFF is looking after the students, the parents are looking after teachers because they care about the quality of education.”
The school is the biggest in the country and is also the fastest growing school. He said in 2014 there were 58 teachers but the number had increased to 62 this year.
Kenehe said while some of the teachers were being accommodated, others had been residing in settlements of Port Moresby
“The environment is not conducive and safe for these teachers, therefore, the school would like to accommodate all its teachers by 2020 and parents enormously supported the idea,” he said.
“Last year we build a four bedroom house and eight male teachers moved in. We also created new positions which we now have three deputy principals.”