College facing money crisis

A COMMUNITY college in Lae, Morobe, is facing financial pressure as most of its teachers and the ancillary staff have not been paid for some time, a school official says.
The Lae Community College operates as a flexible open distance education (Fode) centre.
The college owes its 23 teachers and four ancillary staffers more than K19,000 in unpaid salaries.
College board chairman Alfred Tobem said: “At the moment, the college is in dire need of financial assistance and being the brainchild of the Morobe government which was initiated under former premier Utula Samana, they have to help the school”.
He said teachers should to be paid their salaries so they could give their full concentration to teaching students. “The students’ fees that the college has were put to priority areas for the students’ improvement in learning and this also goes towards assisting the grade 10s and 12s in the national exams.”
Tobem said the Morobe government should include the college in the annual budget as this was where its zero drop out policy would work in the province. The school operated on students’ fees and has not received any external financial support either from the province or the Government tuition fee assistance or the national Fode office.
The school is providing a second chance at education for grade eight, grade 10 and grade 12 school leavers.