School allowed only Gr10, 12 to ease overcrowding

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
GRADE 10 and 12 students attending Dregerhafen Secondary School in Finschhafen, Morobe, will return to classes this week after a notice of approval was granted on Friday.
The school board and stakeholders had appealed to Morobe health division, since suspension last Monday, to consider reinstating only grade 10 and 12 because they had national examinations.
Board chairman Bussim Stoessel told The National on Friday that council’s request was looked upon favourably. “We were given a written notice by provincial adviser for health, Micah Yawing, on Friday to have those students back in classes on Monday,” he said.
“The district environmental health officer conducted a follow-up inspection on March 5, which revealed rectification work is being carried out on defects identified in the Nov 26 environmental health report, which led to closure of the school.”
According to the written notice, as a control measure to minimise overcrowding, only grades 10 and 12 students were allowed to attend classes. Stoessel said that although that was good news for the school management and students, grades 10 and 12 students, who were selected by the school through informal processes, would still be forced to find spaces elsewhere.
The provincial adviser for education, Keith Jiram, said the division did not have a say on informal selections.
“It is up to the school and the parents to find means and ways to help those students affected to continue their education,” he said.
“When the school rejects students who are selected by the provincial education board and national education board, then the division will have to look into that matter.”
In related news, Morobe provincial administration needs to release the 2019 funding allocated for flexible open and distance education (Fode) programmes to help students this year, Jiram said.
He was responding to queries from Dregerhafen students who were forced to enrol in other schools because of suspension of classes.