Materials part of TFF package not enough: Teacher

THE teaching and learning materials in the tuition fee-free (TFF) package are insufficient for a level-five primary school in Lae, Morobe.
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School has about 800 pupils in the elementary and primary classes, with teaching and learning materials from the TFF package not enough for students and teachers.
Head teacher Celyne Yep said the school was an inclusive school with two-line streamed classes.
“The teaching and learning materials for teachers and students are not supplied according to population we have now,” Yep said.
“It was not what we required.
“We only received one set for each of the eight subjects taught in the syllabus and teachers’ guide.
“Our board of management has spent K3000 to print copies of Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC) books and materials from the soft copy that was supplied during in-service last year.”
Yep said the school ran its own copies of SBC materials to help students and teachers.
The school has 27 teachers, 541 students in primary and 260 in elementary, with two classes of learning difficulty and one multi-disability class.
Yep said they had received the last batch of the TFF administration component for 2018 this year and were still waiting for the first component of this year.
“We are still waiting for this year’s first quarter funding.”
Board chairman Peter Lailai said they were still waiting for this year’s TFF first quarter component, with first term ending today.
“The increased students’ enrolment has placed a lot of burden on us with limited resources,” he said.