Govt staff warned not to mislead

By GIBSON TORASO
UPNG Journalism student
A COMMUNITY leader from Enga’s Wapenamanda electorate has warned the staff from the education division in the province not to mislead students and parents when government is implementing free education.
Langa Kopio has claimed that there was an individual officer from the provincial education division touring the province telling people that the government is not paying school fees for students.
He said that the officer had informed the parents and students to pay their own fees because there won’t be any free education in the province.
He said the individual officer had toured the province spreading this information – including Tsak and Wapenamanda.
“Parents and students are aware that the national government is implementing free education this year and such information by an individual is false and misleading” Kopio said.
He said that elementary to Grade 10 is free, Grades 11 and 12 and tertiary institutions will pay only 25% of their total school fees.
He claimed that the information dispersed was politically instigated to mislead the people about the good work the government was doing.
“Government has made it clear that it will provide free education and everyone is aware of that. People must not mislead our poor parents and should implement government policy instead of politicising the system,” he said.
He cautioned public servants in the province not to involve themselves in politics and carry out their duties to implement government policies.
Kopio said such information was of a political nature and encouraged public servants to let the politicians play politics and concentrate in their duty as servants of the people.
He urged the people of Enga not to listen to such false and politically instigated information and be prepared to pay the 25% of the fee requirement set by the government.