School affected after fight

MORE than 500 Bunabun Primary School students in ward one of Sumgilbar local level government, Sumkar, Madang, have been staying at home after their school closed down in 2019.
Teacher Priscilla Pesau, who will be heading a new school that the community started with help from the Catholic education in Madang, said the students’ education were adversely affected after a big fight between Manam settlers in Mangen care centre and locals.
Pesau said most of the students had left their villages in search of schools along the North Coast Road while those who could not find enrolment into alternative schools, had married and started new families.
“I saw this last year, so I went to the Catholic education office to ask if they can allow me and village leaders to start a new school,” she said.
“Our meeting with them was positive and they told us to go ahead and start the new school which is St Francis of Asiasi-Pepaur Primary School.”
Pesau said the school had yet to be registered but there was a need for the students to start attending classes.
“The classrooms have been built and we have started enrolment for grades three to seven students who had been staying at home,” she said.
A community leader, who did not want to be named, said their children’s education had been badly affected and there would be a big gap in literacy level in the village.
“The Government should not keep quiet on the Manam resettlement issue because we had been affected after they decided to resettle the Manam settlers at Mangen care centre,” he said.
“Our school and hospital have been closed since 2019, and no one has offered help. It is our right to receive health and education services but it is not happening now.”