49-year-old among Grade 10 graduates

By ELIAS LARI
FORTY-nine-year-old Kuk Gole was among the other 59 pioneer Grade 10 students who graduated last Wednesday at the Global Flexible Secondary School at Kimil in the Jiwaka region of Western Highlands.
Gole, who hails from Kudjip in Jiwaka and a father of four children, (three daughters and a son) had decided to go back to school to receive a Grade 10 certificate despite of his age.
He completed his Grade 10 in 1979 at the Mt Hagen Secondary School but did not receive his certificate due to a fight between his brothers at Kudjip.
However, in 1980 he decided to attend the CHW training at the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital and received a certificate.
Gole is currently the district health promotion officer and HIV/AIDS response officer for the North Waghi district.
Gole, a businessman, owns many properties in Port Moresby, Madang and Western Highlands.
After receiving his certificate, Gole told The National at the graduation that there was no end to education.
He said that he had everything including business, job, vehicle, properties and families but his aim was to go back to school and receive a formal education.
He said his elder daughter was now a physiotherapist and his other daughter was a nursing officer at the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital while his son and the other daughter had completed their Grade 12 at Kerowagi Secondary School, Chimbu.
Gole said even his children had received formal education, he still needed an education to make his life become meaningful.
He said some people might thought of their age and had no chance to receive an education and gave up.
Gole said that education belonged to everyone and he was interested to graduate with a Grade 10 certificate.
He said this country needed literate people to manage its resource.
Gole said he had dreams and vision to continue his education.
He said this was a great achievement in his life to receive a certificate.
Executive director of the school Fr Gabriel Kura thanked Gole for making a right choice in his life to continue his education.