Proper funds management keeps Mul-Baiyer school in the black

A LEVEL six primary school at Mul-Baiyer, in Western Highland, has K56,000 in tuition fee-free funds left from 2017 still to be spent.
The headmaster of St Michael’s Primary School, at Mul-Baiyer in Western Highlands, John Andakis, said yesterday that this was a result of managing 2017 tuition fee-free funds well. Yesterday he signed a second Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects with Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Nakajima, to
have three water tanks installed with eight shower rooms and 20 toilets.
Andakis, who has been heading the school for the past three years, was looking forward to a smooth start to 2018 for his school.
He said the savings was because of prudent management by the Mt Hagen Catholic Diocese.
“When we want to make purchases, we meet with the school board first, list down the materials
to buy, then we take the breakdown to the diocese auditor for approval,” he said. “Once approved, the money is released for that purpose only.
“We don’t have any debts to repay like other schools have been reported to have.
“St Michael’s Primary is 45 minutes’ drive away from Hagen town and is mostly attended by village children.
“The school has grades three to eight with three classes each.
“We have 22 teachers and it is the biggest of all the 35 primary school in the Mul-Baiyer electorate.
“The teacher student ratio is 35 to 40 students is to one teacher.”