Free education making city schools burst at the seams

SCHOOLS in Port Moresby continue to face overcrowding issue, says assistant education secretary Sam Lora.
“Free education has made everyone go to school and we have 60 to 70 students per class,” Lora said.
He said school boards had been told to plan expansions for schools.
“It has a lot of bearing on the teachers too,” Lora said.
He said most schools in the city could not expand because of land problems.
Meanwhile, at the Butuka Academy, students who had been displaced because of the development had been recalled.
Lora said the closure early this year was due to a misunderstanding with the landowners.
“We have a first intake of grade 9 but they (landowners’ children) need to meet the requirements to get in like in any other school,” he said.
“They wanted their children to be given priority. But they have to meet the standard requirements. We don’t want to give a false impression that anyone can get into the school – only those who meet the requirement.”