Police not told of attack on school

Education

THE head teacher of St Paul’s Karap Primary School in Jimi, Jiwaka, has expressed disappointment over the behaviour of a local man who destroyed school properties.
John Malye told The National that a local man (name withheld) smashed the louver blades of a classroom, destroyed the administration block and the TV disk of the school.
Malye said they did not report the matter to police but had solved the problem with the locals.
He said he did not know the reason behind the incident but believed it to be election-related.
“Election is a seasonal event. School and properties are here to stay. If you destroy mission or government establishments, you are only causing downfall to your own community which would affect the future of your children,” Malye said.
He mentioned that the EQUITV was brought from Port Moresby and launched and installed by Education Minister Nick Kuman in 2016.
“Now over 200 students from grade 6 to 8 are affected. They cannot take their math and science lessons on TV,” Malye said.
“It is a multi-channel disk and can be expensive.
“We also have other 200-plus students in the lower grades. EMTV and NBC TV signal have been cut off and we are in the dark.”
He said Mt Hagen Catholic Archbishop Douglas Young has expressed frustration at the behaviour of the local man and ordered the school to shut down but the teachers did not want the education of children to be affected.
He called on local MP Wake Goi to buy a new EQUITV disk for the school.