Put HLIS under NSOE programme

THE Highlands Lutheran International School (HLIS) is owned and ope­rated by the Gutnius Lutheran church of PNG.
It was established by American missionaries in the 1950s, about 20km southwest of Wabag town in Wapenamanda district.
It has some of the state of the art facilities and enrols students from kindergarten to Grade 12.
The HLIS motto is “Excellence in Education Guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and this is reflected in the behaviour and attitude of students who graduated from HLIS.
The entry rate for HLIS students after Grade 12 into tertiary institutions in PNG and overseas is 99%.
Experienced and qualified teachers from all over the world are recruited to teach at HLIS.
It makes use of both PNG and internationally accepted standard American or Australian curriculum/syllabus where students are exposed to world class and advanced learning materials.
English language is gi­ven priority and students are tested quarterly throughout an academic year to prove competency and provide improvement should the need arises.
So far, HLIS has produced some of the best ta­lents in the workforce in either the public or private sector.
One of its top students is Anne-Marie Potane who is currently studying in Israel to become a neuro-surgeon.
The other is Dr Benedict Paul, who is now a medical officer at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
There are many others who are making enormous contributions to PNG’s development.
Therefore, I would like to call on the government to include HLIS under the School of Excellence Programme which is set to commence next year.
I believe the school has the capacity to meet all government requirements.
If the government considers HLIS, then it will also fulfil the Public Private Partnership (PPP) po­licy.
I would also like to call on the Enga provincial government and the Wapenamanda district administration to support this idea and bring it to the relevant authorities.
Local community lea­ders and concerned individuals from Enga are also encouraged to support this proposal.

Charles Kendee
Itokon Sandem village, Enga