Marum hears teachers call to improve roads into Yalam

By ROSELYN ELLISON
A TEACHER’s call for manpower and an improved road has received immediate commitment by East New Britain Governor Michael Marum.
During a recent visit to the remote Yalam Primary School in Gazelle’s Lassul Baining local level government area, Marum assured headmaster Chillen Waiipe that building an access road in the area was now top priority.
“I have trekked this route and I can feel the struggles that the community, church and school are going through.
“We will meet with stakeholders in the provincial government to have this road fixed,” Marum said.
He also committed several Tuffa tanks for the school while the neighbouring Komgi Primary School would also receive materials for a new three-in-one classroom building.
The governor and a provincial administration team visited a number of State and church-run facilities, noting the hardships the people faced.
Waiipe said two-thirds of the teaching positions at Yalam Primary still remained vacant.
“We have nine teaching positions, but only three teachers are at the school.
“This has been the same for the past couple of years. I call on the governor to bring out issue to the provincial education board to address. We need teachers here,” the headmaster said.
He explained that the remoteness of the school was the reason teachers did not want to go there.
He said locals usually take a five-hour walk from the Raunsepna transit to Yalam.
“There is no proper road infrastructure, teachers and students follow bush tracks to the school and that is why most teachers refused to come and teach at Yalam.
“I am appealing to the provincial government to build proper roads for us to access,” Waiipe said.
He said this was greatly affecting students’ learning.
“We are doing all we can to keep this school running.
“Our students are mostly from this area and most have no contact with the outside world, so it is a challenge in the classroom.
“Also, we are still cut off from the rest of East New Britain and the world,” he said.