Poor school proving nothing is impossible

A remote school where students fetch water in buckets to cook their food, use solar-powered light for only two hours each night to do their school work, pay airfreight for their food and school material and an additional K950 on enrolment have topped grade 10 in the final examinations.
Defence Minister and Telefomin MP Solan Mirisim congratulated the Oksapmin High School grade 10 students for topping the country in last year’s examinations.
“I am very proud of the students from my district,” Mirisim told the school’s headmaster, Vincent Apin, in Port Moresby this week.
“Despite all the hardships we face every day in this remote part of the country, our children have shown that if you work hard, you will get the results you want.”
Mirisim said that it was amazing coming from a school that was only established in 2007 to cater for children from the area who were finding it difficult to secure space in grade 9 and 10 at Telefomin Secondary and other high schools in West Sepik.
About 400 students complete grade 8 every year in Oksapmin and only 15 are lucky to get a space in Telefomin to complete grade 9 and 10.
The rest simply miss out.
This led to the establishment of Oksapmin High.
The school graduated its first grade 10 students in 2008 using four classrooms made of bush material at Tekin Primary School.
“To everyone’s surprise, the first grade 10 graduates of this school topped the province,” Apin said.
“In 2016, the school’s grade 10 students did well nationally, finishing fifth in the country.
“Last year, they shot to the top in the country.”
Apin said the excellent performance came from discipline and hard work of the students and teachers.
It’s a boarding school where the students fetch water in buckets to cook their own food.
“They have two hours of study at night from power that comes from solar panels that were donated,” he said.
“Food ration and school materials are flown in, the freight paid by the students and their parents.
“Every year the students pay K950 to the school on enrolment.
“That fee is often referred to as the freight levy. Our supplies are flown in and that’s the cost we live with here. So, parents don’t complain.
“They pay because they want their children educated and given a chance to get a job to live a better life.”
Since being elected, Mirisim has supported the school with K50,000 each year from his district support funds.
“I’m very proud of their achievement. I will continue to support them each year,” he said.