Grade 12 examination goes well

GRADE 12 students at Pausa Secondary School in Wapenamanda, Enga, were finally notified about their Written Expression Examination less than a day before the start yesterday, a church leader says.
Church leaders spoke about recent incidents, happenings and disruptions leading up to the examination.
Chief head bishop of the Lutheran church that runs the school, David Piso, said this was due to ongoing election-related clashes among small tribes around the school.
“The leaders of the tribes had a meeting on Sunday and agreed that the students should be allowed to sit for their exam,” he said.
“It was a last-minute decision by the leaders of each of the tribe to meet a day before the exam and come to a compromise to allow their children to sit for an important examination.”
School principal Gary Mark confirmed the problems the school had faced.

He said only three students were unable to attend but did sit for the exam at another school.
Classes for Mendi Secondary School grades 9, 10 and 11 in Southern Highlands were suspended yesterday to make space for more than 300 grade 12s, principal Paias Mario said.
He said election activities affected the children.
“Within the Mendi town vicinity, we have Tente, North Mendi and Kumin Primary plus AC and elementary schools and the students after seeing people with bush knives and faces rubbed with black charcoal were frightened,” he said.

“Knowing that the counting will disturb the movement of the students, the administration talked with the provincial education division and decided that students continue to attend classes for the first week of term two holidays and go on holidays in the second week,” he said.
Mario said it worked out well and classes continued.
Grade 12 students were sent home with worksheets and old written expression papers.

Morobe education adviser Keith Tangui commended the police and PNG Defence Force personnel for providing security during the exam yesterday.
He said it was pleasing to see that surrounding communities where there were ethnic clashes at Bumayong and Tent City areas respect students who sat their exam yesterday.
“The approaches taken by all during exam day have shown that people are really concerned about the students,” he said.
Tangui said when students and teachers were left in fear, it would impact the outcome of their exam results.
“Despite the many disturbances experienced in the province through ethnic clashes and election-related violence, year 12 students in the province were able to sit for their exam, credit goes to all who were involved in making sure the situation is fear free for them,” he said.
According to Tangui, schools along the Bumayong and Tent City areas were suspended after the ethnic clash there a week ago.
They have now resumed classes.