Govt gives K0.5m to Bougainville school

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

STUDENTS of Panguna Primary School in Central Bougainville will have proper classrooms to learn in thanks to the Government funding of K500,000.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Peter O’Neill made the commitment to the school during his goodwill visit to the Autonomous Region. 

Last Thursday National Planning and Monitoring Minister Charles Abel delivered the cheque when he visited the school to fulfill O’Neill’s commitment. 

It came as a surprise just after the school principal Celine Buruah gave her speech and stressed on the need for proper classrooms for the students to learn in. 

“Prime Minister Peter O’Neill committed K500,000 to rebuild the school but it is taking too long to be released,” Buruah said.

“We want children to sit in proper classrooms and learn. The only help that we get is from the quarterly funds from the tuition fee free component and fundraising.”

Buruah told Abel and the visiting delegates that the commitment was the first ever from the Government and asked that their request be presented to the Prime Minister.

She said the concern from schools in Central Bougainville was the negligence by the local MP. 

“Give more attention to education, it is the way forward for Bougainville and Panguna.”

Shortly after Buruah’s speech, Abel presented the cheque to her. 

“We must never forget the sacrifices of the people who suffered during the crisis. We are here to see how we can help Bougainville,” Abel said.

“We’re sorry to come and see the state of Bougainville. How do we bring meaningful development?”

Abel said Papua New Guineans must be part and parcel of decision- making and the Government was there to support the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the people. 

He reminded the Panguna people that they were still part of the family called PNG.