New school opens for Duke of York children

Youth & Careers

CHILDREN from Utuan and Maren in the Duke of York Islands of Kokopo, East New Britain, will now have their own elementary school.
Local level government president Isaac Ilom said for more than 16 years, children from Utuan and Maren had been risking their lives travelling by canoe or walking long distances just to attend class.
Ilom said canoes often capsized when the sea was rough and children from Maren walk for an hour every day to the elementary school at Butliwan village.
The Kokopo district and city authorities paid for two double classrooms and a three-in-
one classroom which cost K300,000.
The classrooms were opened last Friday. Ilom thanked Tammur for giving priority to education.
Meanwhile, East New Britain Governor Nakikus Konga assured the islanders that the Ramoania Technical High School would be upgraded to secondary status this year.
“By 2021, we must start enrolling grade 11 students,” he said.
“The government will make funds available through the provincial service improvement programme under the education sector.”