Community threatens to close school over student selection

Community members have threatened to close Malala Catholic Secondary School in Madang claiming that the grade 9 selection was unfair.
They said most local students missed out on the selection despite scoring good marks.
In a four-page petition, they called on the Bishop of Madang Archdiocese, Stephen Riechert, and the school administration to address this issue.
Malala Civil Association chairman James Dubar said that many students from the surrounding communities of Ulingan, Malala and Banara passed but were not selected.
The communities have demanded the school administration and the education board create two new day classes for the local students.
“We want local students’ intake to be 70 per cent and 30 per cent outsiders. Local students must be given priority,” said Dubar.
“We demand that 10 per cent of grade 9 students from the area to be included to the already selected list based on the number of graduates of the nine feeder schools within the Almami LLG area.”
They petitioned the appointment of board chairman to be an indigenous local based on merit and ancillary staff position should be local.
Madang Catholic Education secretary Bruno Tulemanil was aware of the matter and would respond when he returned from Port Moresby.