Madang Teachers College operations under scrunity

By JAYNE SAFIHAO

BLUNDERS by the Madang Teachers College administration will come under the scrutiny of the national education board, chairman of the board’s professional committee, Anthony Tsora said yesterday.

He made the announcement after enquiries on staff appointments and students’ enrolments were raised.

On Monday deputy principal academic Gasper Nakau said the school was in total confusion over whose orders to follow as staff appointed by the school’s governing council resumed duties contrary to the board’s appointment list.

Nakau said that acceptance lists sent by the Office of Higher Education for students this academic year were changed by principal Stephen Potek, who substituted them with names he had selected.

Tsora said these allegations were quite serious and he would head an investigation team that should be in the province in two weeks.

Under instructions from the board, staff at the college are supposed to take up their substantive positions from last year.

But that was not the case as Potek refused to recognise the board’s decisions and instead opted for appointments done by a select few of the governing council.

More than 30 returning students found out during registration they had been denied space at
the college.

"The students are here because of an acceptance letter. Now we have a dilemma on how to arrange very limited space for them. Last year we had to four to a cubicle and looks like we will be forced to have five now," Nakau said.

Nakau said seven students attending the college had become victims of the mv Rabaul Queen sinking.

Several attempts this week to talk with Potek proved unsuccessful.