Plans drawn up for schools in disaster affected areas

INTERMEDIATE plans have been drawn up to cater for schools and students affected by weather borne disaster and the Sepik earthquake.
Education Minister Lucas Dekena and Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra announced several measures after dispatching schools inspectors to the worst affected provinces, East Sepik and Chimbu.
Schools and communities have 10 weeks to rebuild those schools that have been completely destroyed or the provincial education boards must suspend the school and students will repeat in 2025.
Dekena and Kombra said that school authorities must give priority to Grades 8, 10 and 12 students with immediate focus on the Grade 10 students because of the Grade 10 Written Expression Examination coming up on June 6.
Students who miss out on the Written Expression Exam will have their marks standardised in reference to their internal marks.
Teachers who are affected will still remain on payroll and those from suspended schools can be re-appointed to teach in other schools but can always re-apply to their schools once they are rebuilt.
In terms of the teaching and learning resources, the Department will revive its inter-departmental committee on disasters and emergencies which together with development partners had developed various teaching and learning packages which will be available to students and teachers to use to continue classes.
The minister and secretary are now calling on the local communities and authorities to rebuild the schools badly damaged as soon as they can.
“The schools that were completely damaged by the natural disasters like the earth quake, flooding and landslides or hard to reach because of excessive flooding must be rebuilt immediately,” they said in a joint media statement.
“If they can’t be rebuild in 10 weeks, the provincial education board must suspend the school and students will repeat in 2025.
“We appreciate and thank the national and provincial governments and other organisations for assisting those affected by the disasters.
“We are appealing to the communities and local authorities to rebuild our schools immediately so that the children can return to school.”
Both men expressed sorrow at the loss of lives and destruction to infrastructure.
Dekena told The National yesterday: “I just received reports that some schools in East Sepik have been completely covered by the flooding but am yet to establish the details.“No schools were destroyed in Gumine.
“We should complete clearing the landslips tonight (yesterday) to allow all students to return to school.
“None of the other districts (in Chimbu) reported any destruction to their schools too.”
Earlier this month, East Sepik reported that 86 schools in Ambunti Dreikikier, Wosera-Gawi and Angoram districts were suspended indefinitely due to the disasters.
Provincial education executive manager Timothy Yavu said a team had visited the affected schools, which mainly included elementary and primary schools.