High school receives K1.5m funding

MAINTENANCE work can now start at the Siassi Lutheran High School following a K1.5 million funding by Morobe Governor Kelly Naru.
The school will use it to carry out maintenance work on its current infrastructure including male and female dormitories, students’ mess, classrooms, ablution blocks, staff accommodation and the administration building.
The school’s infrastructure is 60 years old and in need of an upgrade.
Siassi is made up of a group of islands with 13 primary schools, more than 30 elementary schools, a health centre and seven aid posts serving more than 40,000 people.
Naru was there last weekend to receive the YWAM medical team from Townsville, Australia.
He was shocked to see the rundown facilities of the school during a tour with Siassi Local Level Government president Joel John Alu and acting Morobe administrator Shella Haro.
“This school has definitely been ignored over the years. I am really saddened to see the rundown infrastructure from dormitories to classrooms, teachers’ accommodations, staff room, students mess and ablutions blocks,” Naru said.
A teacher’s house and classroom funded under the Provincial Service Improvement Programme for K350,000 was left incomplete by the contractor.
“I am very disappointed with this contractor. I will summon an immediate investigation into this project. This type of contractors are hindering government’s service delivery to the people,” Naru said.
School headmaster Bruce Ngalau said the school was a Level Seven high school with more than 400 students and 13 teaching staff.
“The school needs 17 teachers. But unfortunately, teachers do not want to come here because of the remoteness and rundown infrastructure,” he said.