Govt policy backfires
The National, Wednesday March 12th, 2014
SCHOOLS are facing a major problem – high enrolment and not enough space, an official says.
It is a legacy of the free education policy.
The problem was highlighted by education head Moses Sariki during a presentation last week.
He claimed that the current ratio of student-teacher exceeded the maximum stipulated under the education policy.
He said at Aiome Anglican, Holy Spirit Memorial High, Transgogol and Good Sheperd Lutheran high schools, students in Grades 9 and 10 stacked up 40 to 50 per class.
In secondary schools such as Raikos, Karkar, Tusbab, Malala and Brahman there was as many as 60 in some classes.
“There is a major need for four new high schools to be built within the next three to four years. Overcrowding has become a major issue now in schools and with it comes the lack of quality learning when teachers are under duress,” Sariki said.
The bleak news was presented in the presence of the Madang Governor Jim Kas last Friday with the hope of political intervention.