Marape urges schools to have a plan

SCHOOLS should have a five-year development plan to benefit from the Government’s K230 million rehabilitation education school infrastructure (RESI) funds.
“The five-year development plan must be consistent with the district, provincial and the national education development plans,” Education Minister James Marape said.
He made the statement at two occasions in the Eastern Highlands and Simbu provinces last week.
Mr Marape said this at Kabiufa Adventist Secondary School last Friday where he was the guest speaker at the school’s 29th annual Grade 12 graduation, stressing the importance of planning for school infrastructural developments.
He presented K700,000 in RESI funds to Kabiufa Secondary as the school has made a submission to access the fund.
At a separate gathering in Kundiawa the same day, Mr Marape presented K2 million to schools in Kundiawa-Gembogl district, Simbu province.
The money was presented to local MP Joe Mek Teine.
Mr Marape said every school should develop five-year development plans that must be consistent with the Government’s plan and vision for education.
“Funding from the Government’s K230 million RESI funds to maintain and upgrade school infrastructure, must be reflected in the school’s development plan,” he said, adding that schools that received RESI funds had submitted their projects for school infrastructure developments.
Mr Marape said Kundiawa-Gembogl schools had asked for more than K2 million, but what was made available was what was processed to date.
Mr Teine, while applauding Mr Marape’s gesture, assured that run-down schools would get the attention they deserved and that the money would be put to good use.
Other districts in Simbu that received funding from RESI were Sinasina-Yongumugl (K5 million), Kerowagi (K4 million) and Gumine (K4 million).