Rain cuts short start of Term Three

By OLIVE SUKUN
THE start to Term Three yesterday in Port Moresby ended early in at least three schools when students were caught in the heavy downpour coming to class in the morning.
“I had to call the education office to get permission to send my students home because some of them got soaked in the rain on their way to school in the morning,” Coronation Primary School principal Eli Auka said.
Auka said not many students turned up due to the rain but the school was ready for term three.
Auka said classes would continue today as scheduled but if rain continued then it was up to the parents whether to allow their children to attend classes.
Gordon’s Secondary School had normal classes from periods one to five and cancelled periods seven and eight to allow their students an early day.
“More than half the students attended school and we had normal classes but I had to send them home because their books might get wet if we continued classes into the afternoon,” principal George Kenega said.
He said the school was set for term three, especially to prepare Grade 10 and 12 students for their final examinations in Term Four.
“Grades 10 and 12 students will be exempted from afternoon activities to get ready for remedial classes this term.”
Wardstrip Primary School had five to 15 students in each class from A to H, adding to a total of 600 students out of 3,400 on the first day.
“We had classes but most of the students and teachers were soaked in the rain so we had to send them home,” head teacher Sussie Uri said.
“Rain or no rain, classes will continue tomorrow and onwards as the school is prepared for the term and we don’t want to delay anything.”
Meanwhile, Caritas Secondary did not allow the rainy weather to interrupt classes as they continued and finished school as normal.