Remote school misses out of govt help

A REMOTE primary school in Finschhafen has been missing out on government assistance since its establishment because of poor inspection by education officials.
Origenang Primary School in ward 11 of the Burum-Kuat local government area of Morobe was not included in the government’s tuition fee free (TFF) list.
Board member Derish Yonga said yesterday that although the school management had been meeting the requirements since 2014 to be part of the TFF policy, assistance has not been given.
“Such a remote school needs government assistance, therefore the head teacher and myself have visited the education division many times in order to be part of the TFF,” he said.
“They said they updated the system but still the school account does not receive any funds.
“The school was never visited by education officials or standard
officers until just this year,” Yonga said.
The level 4 school with 109 students from grade 3 to 8 is located between Mindik Primary School and Ogeranang Primary school.
It receives supplies only by plane.
“The school has six classrooms and we are trying to upgrade our grade 8 classrooms from bush material to semi-permanent, but unfortunately we have no funds,” Yonga said. “We have tried our best to have only the foundation done,” he said.
“But the school board and management hope that once we receive TFF, the classroom will be complete.” Yonga said the school profile would be given to the Morobe governor’s office this week to help out with the situation, and “to let him know that there are many schools like us in the remote areas who need government help.” He said the population was increasing in remote areas so schools could not cater for all the students, and therefore new schools had been “set up because children must be educated properly”.