Maru wants education as No.1

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
YANGORU-Sausia MP Richard Maru has blasted board members of two schools in his electorate for what he claims is neglecting quality education in East Sepik.
“These board members of Kusambuk High School and Kubalia Secondary School have enrolled too many students from other districts because they wanted an increase in tuition fee free funds,” Maru said.
“This has created overcrowding in the classes and not enough teachers to teach the students properly.
“That’s why Grade 10 students from Kusambuk and Grade 12 students from Kubalia got very poor grades last year and the majority did not make it to Grade 11 and tertiary institutions this year.
“So I’m warning the board members of all the primary and secondary schools in my electorate that they must be more concerned about the quality than the quantity. They must not just enrol students to get an increase in TFF funds.”
Maru, who is also the National Planning Minister, said that when delivering a new school truck bought for K200,000 to the Kubalia Secondary school in East Sepik last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Maru has allocated a total of K2 million from his district development authority funds to build two new high schools in his electorate.
“There will be a new building containing four classes for the new Numbo High School at the existing Handra Primary School and the same type of building to be built for the new Wingei High school at Suanumbu village.
“There will also be four new teachers’ houses to be built in each of these schools.
“My DDA is also planning to build a staff room and a library for each of these schools,” he said.
Maru said that Numbo High school would provide Grade 9 and 10 classes for primary schools in the Numbo local-level government and Wingei High school would do the same for primary schools in the West Yangoru LLG.
“I want to have four high schools in each of the LLGs in my electorate (Numbo, Sausse, East Yangoru and West Yangoru LLGs) so that we can produce quality students,” Maru said.