O’Neill presents K2m to technical school

 DREGERHAFEN Technical Secondary School in Finschhafen, Morobe, benefited from the visit by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill on Wednesday.

He presented a cheque for K1.2 million and committed another K500,000 to the school.

O’Neill, who was accompanied by Finschhafen MP and Parliament Speaker Theodore Zurenuoc, Morobe Governor Kelly Naru, several MPs and other dignitaries, commissioned a new six-classroom complex that was built by locals and parents.

The two cheques presented to school chairman and former Morobe premier Sir Jerry Nalau by O’Neill covered the K500,000 commitment by Zurenuoc in 2012 when he was then education minister, as well as the school’s K776,000 education subsidy.

Sir Jerry thanked O’Neill for the tuition fee-free policy.

However, O’Neill told them their MP should get the credit as he was the main advocate behind the free education policy of the government. 

He said, in the last three years, the government did not look outside the national budget but used funds from within to fund the policy.

“In the future, governments must continue with this policy because it benefits the people. Like the free education policy, we have the free health care policy that should not be changed,” he said.

He reminded the school it had a rich history, especially with former students who had graduated, including former prime minister Sir Michael Somare and Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc, and encouraged them to strive in their studies.