Parents agree to pay

Parents of Wardstrip Elementary School children gave their consent for the school to collect K50 to help with administration.
Head teacher Nancy Raga told The National that it was the decision of the parents to charge the amount.
Responding to concerns raised by parents at the school, Raga said she was only implementing the parents and citizens decision to charge K50.
Elementary schoolchildren are undergoing the Education Department bridging programme to register them at primary school.
Wardstrip Primary head teacher Emily Ricky told The National that her office was flooded with disgruntled parents who could not register their children in Grade 3  because they did not have the necessary certificate.
“The instruction from the Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra is very clear and we are not charging any form of fees,” Ricky said.
“The school now under the basic education system comes under Wardstrip Primary and I am the overseer so I have written to the head teacher to release the certificates.
“The roll books from the school did not have any proper records of the students and that’s our concern. Any parent could just come in and identify their children as elementary students and enrol their children.
“For that reason, the certificate of attainment from the elementary school is required to enable the children to register.”
The school chairman Silvenus Vaso expressed disappointment because it was depriving  parents from enrolling their children.
“Our parents are unable to register their children because they need to present those certificates,” he said.
“She is actually abusing the direction from the Secretary for Education and State of PNG.”
Head of Grade 3 Luke Kero confirmed that only 63 Grade 3 students registered because they were able to present their certificates.
Raga said the problem had been resolved and all certificates were given to the school last week.