Schools close in Angoram

ALL primary schools in cholera-stricken areas of Angoram district remain under suspension until clearance is given by the cholera task force team and the East Sepik provincial administration.
Provincial education adviser Pius Munkaje said yesterday that he would meet with the relevant authorities today to find out if it was safe to reopen the schools.
A total of seven primary schools are affected, but health officers said those in the Murik Lake area were classified under “red zone”, which means there was a greater possibility of a major outbreak if the schools commenced classes.
Another primary school in Kambaramba, the village where the first case of cholera was reported last November, is under “yellow zone” while schools at Kaup, Moim Makendo and those on higher grounds may resume sooner as they are under “green zone”.
All teachers posted to these schools filed their resumption forms last week and were only waiting for clearance before returning to the schools to start classes.
“To have these schools suspended until clearance is given is the best option for the education division because the province doesn’t have the capacity to contain the disease if an outbreak occurs in one of the schools.
“The provincial health teams have been conducting awareness on preventive measures and students must uphold these safety tips in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic when they start the academic year,” he said.