Enga invest in education

ENGA has 160,000 students, the highest in the country, attending learning institutions, Ipatas Foundation chairman Isaac Lupari said.
Lupari  was speaking on Monday in Wabag  to students and parents who turned up to sign a memorandum of understanding before cheques totalling K1.5 million, to pay 50% of their school fees, were given to them by the Foundat­ion.
Lupari said it was en­couraging to see a record 7,000 Engan students attending institutions in the country, of which 1,200 were studying at the University of Papua New Guinea, University of Technology and Goroka University.
“I am happy to tell you that from our investigation, we have 450 students enrolled at UPNG, 400 at Unitech and 300 at UOG,” he said.
“This accounts for 35% of the total enrolment in each of the universities.  That is a big improvement that we all should be proud of.”
He attributed the im­provement in student en­rolment figures to Enga Go­vernor Peter Ipatas’ successful school subsidy policy he introduced when he took office in 1996.
He said the people of Enga were lucky to have a leader who was able to help people find work.
“The people of Enga are lucky to have a leader who was able to foresee the importance of investing in human resources deve­lopment through a vigo­rous education policy.
“There is no leader in the country like your go­vernor who has a track record in promoting education with results,” he said.
Schools which re­ceived cheques to cover the 50% of the students’ fees in­clude Sir Tei Abal Secon­dary (K176,000), Ko­pen Secondary (K159,000), St Paul’s Pausa Secondary (K127,000), Kompiam High (K81,000), Porgera High (K80,000), Four Square High (K74,000), Pilikambi High (57,000), Surunki High (K55,000), Anditale (K52,000), Kandep High (K50,000), Wa­nepap Vocational (K10,000), Porgera Vocational (K11,000), Laia­gam Appropriate Technology Centre (K16,000), Pompabus Vocational (K8,000), Kandep Vocational (K6,000), Kumbaskam Vocational (K13,000), Anditale Vocational (K3,000) and STC (K15,000).
Lupari said those who missed out on the payment including Grades 7 and 8 students would be paid in the next two weeks.
He said the K1.5 million had catered for the first half of the payment given to the students under a zero interest loan arrangement.
The students are re­quired to repay the money when they find jobs.
He urged school au­thorities to be accountable for every toea they spent with the acquittals to be submitted to his office.
Lupari said the other half the fees would be paid next month.