School awaits funding

 THE WAIGANI Christian College has urged the Education Department to release its rescue package of K850,000 so that it can see the year through.

The school is facing financial difficulties and is not able to continue its operations. The department agreed to make funding available so that it can continue.

Principal Abakure Kaupa said the school had 569 Grade 10 students.

However, the school is still waiting for the promised funds from the department.

The school’s project was to enrol Grade 8 dropouts from schools in NCD until they sat for their Grade 10 examination. It had started enrolling pupils last year.

The project was initiated under the leadership of the then Education Minister James Marape and Governor for NCD Powes Parkop.

“It was done to cater for the bulk of the population and we have agreed with the Education Department and piloted the project but the funding was not made available” Kaupa said.

“We have written several letters to the department and also petitioned the department to release the funds but nothing has happened.

“We don’t want to close the school and let the 569 Grade 10 students go on the streets and miss their exams because their education is very important.”

Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra said the standards-based curriculum was only implemented at elementary school level.

“There has not been any Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the department and the school for implementation of the number of students the school has enrolled above elementary level.

“The department has gone out of its way to pay the school K500,000 in 2014 and does not have budget appropriation to fund their request this year,” Kombra said.