Grade 12 exam deferred – The National

By LORRAINE JIMAL
GRADE 12 national written expression examination has been deferred to Aug 15 to give time for students to prepare, Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra says.
He said this following the continuing election-related violence that disrupted several schools across the country.
“Given the situations relating to the election counting process, several schools and provinces are in need of a deferral of the examination date in order to settle and have a conducive environment to sit for the examination,” he said. Kombra said that the 2,206 students were supposed to sit for the exam on Aug 1 but this was now postponed to allow schools to concentrate on the exam.
He said the exam’s booklets were already dispatched to schools to distribute to students.
“We request every province to support the provincial education boards (PEBs), provincial education advisors and school inspectors to get this information out to every school to be prepared for the examinations on Aug 15,” he said.
However, Kombra said that this year’s final examination dates would remain the same. He said grade 10 would sit on Oct 10, grade 12 on Oct 17 and grade eight on Oct 24 as per the education calendar for this year.
He urged all PEBs to report to the department if their schools had been affected by the election process and were suspended so that the department could address the issues on a case by case basis.
Kombra said according to education regulation, if a school was suspended for 30 days, the students would not qualify to sit for the examinations, but would repeat the whole schooling year.
“We have rules and regulations which say that if any student is not in school for 30 days, that student is deemed to have not qualified to sit for examinations and will not be certified,” he said.
Kombra said that classes in NCD would be suspended for the week.
“The safety of students is very important, we must be concerned of their welfare and safety, prior to everything else,” he said.
Kombra said students in NCD will return to classes next Monday.
He said that for schools in the other provinces, the PEBs were to assess the situations and report to the department to take action.

Agen’s case adjourned to Aug 3

By VANESSA NIKEN
THE Waigani National Court has adjourned a rape and assault case against General Election 2022 candidate Robert Agen due to a workshop being held at Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Acting Judge Tracy Ganaii granted an application yesterday by the State seeking leave to adjourn Agen’s trial matter because of the workshop.
The State said the prosecutor’s office was currently undergoing a workshop that would continue throughout the week.
“Just for the record, this matter was listed on the basis that the court has not backed on the Public Prosecutors Office,” she said.
Acting Judge Ganaii moved the trial matter to next Wednesday (Aug 3) and extended Agen’s bail.
Agen, 50, from Aregol village, Sinasina-Yongomugl, Chimbu, had been charged with four counts of grievous bodily harm and sexual penetration.
He was alleged to have, on April 30, 2018, drove to Owen’s Corner in Sogeri, Central, after he picked his girlfriend Hennah Alwina Joku (victim) at her office in Gordon, Port Moresby, after having a brief argument over the phone.
Agen was alleged to have struck Joku with his belt several times while accusing her of cheating and also allegedly raped her.
Agen, who is one of 30 candidates contesting for the National Capital District regional seat, also alleged to have assaulted Joku on Sept 15, 2018, after they returned from a fundraising event.
Agen was alleged to have been drunk at that time and assaulted Joku again at a friend’s home in Waigani, Port Moresby.
Meanwhile, Acting Judge Ganaii said public solicitors were not present in court since Monday.

Fighting Henganofi supporters charged, released

**Election security officials, PNG Defence Force soldiers and police officers marching the fighting supporters of Henganofi candidates to the Goroka police station. – Picture supplied**

By ZACHERY PER
EASTERN Highlands police has released 25 supporters of Henganofi open candidates on K200 bail each for allegedly fighting in public.
Eastern Highlands police commander Supt Michael Welly warned the supporters not to disturb the flow of business in Goroka town.
Welly told them to return to their districts and work in their gardens and coffee plots instead of risking their lives fighting each other in front of the National Sports Institute counting centre in Goroka.
He said the supporters had started arguing at the Lottery Park near NSI which developed into a fight.
Fortunately, the PNG Defence Force soldiers on duty were in the area and quickly rounded up those fighting and brought them to Goroka police station.
The supporters caught were each formally arrested and charged with fighting in public place.
Meanwhile, quality checks for the nine open seats in Eastern Highlands have been completed.
Election manager Gore Kaupa said he was confident that the eliminations would start today and declaration would be made tomorrow with the electoral writ returned on Friday. Counting for the regional seat was disrupted by a petition from regional candidates on Monday.
Their concern was attended to and counting had proceeded.
He said declaration for regional seat would be made this week.