Kerevat to start school year

East New Britain education adviser Alkan Mararang (left), Education Department principal legal officer Dominic Maelin, landowner Gabriel Pinat and first assistant secretary for teacher education and inspections Paul Ainui after resolving the Keravat matter. Pinat is holding a gorgor that was removed to allow access into the school. – Picture supplied

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
KERAVAT National High School will start the school year with the rest of the country, Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra says.
Kombra said teachers would resume duties today and students would resume classes next week.
The secretary confirmed this over the weekend after a matter regarding the closure of the school and water supply by landowners had been resolved.
“Our team from the national office, including the East New Britain education adviser with the leadership of Health Minister Jelta Wong and the provincial administrator, have settled the Keravat issue,” he told The National.
Kombra said the gorgor plants that were planted around the school as a customary way of blocking entrance into the school premises had been removed by the landowners and the water supply has also been restored.
He said the Government would support the landowners where necessary with claims regarding the land.
“I have sent my officers to the province on Monday of last week to see that the former school principal who had been suspended was put behind bars and that has happened,” he said.
Kombra said classes would start on Jan 31 with a new principal and a new interim board.
He added that the land on which the school had been built had been acquired by the State, therefore, he said the government would settle the matter following all due processes.
He said the important matter was that students would not miss classes when the school year started next week.