Funding issue forces Rosso to reassess plan

By JIMMY KALEBE
FUNDS under the Lae support improvement programme (DSIP) for education cannot cater for all educational institutions in the district and the administration will need to use it well, MP John Rosso says.
Rosso, who is Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, said this during a presentation of more than K93,000 worth of school supplies to Butibam Primary School last Monday.
“The K10 million DSIP funding for the district is budgeted into different areas of development in the electorate with K2 million for education,” he said.
Rosso said with the population in Lae Open alone estimated to be between 400,000 and 500,000 and the money could not cater for the tuition fees for all students.
He said the best approach was to ensure schools were able to provide quality education through better classrooms (infrastructure), materials and equipment (books, desks and chairs).
“Students need quality education and to provide that, we have to renovate or build good classrooms, teachers’ houses, provide school supplies and others.”
Rosso said last year, K1.2 million DSIP funds appropriated under the Lae City Authority (LCA) for Huonville Primary School to put up new classroom for the 2,000 students there.
The money was paid directly to the contractor to build a new eight-in-one classroom building.
Rosso said at the moment, students were not using proper classrooms.
He said it was better to provide students with better learning environments, materials and equipment rather than paying for their schools fees and having them in schools that could not provide quality education.