School boards told not to play administrators

By GABRIEL LAHOC
MEMBERS of schools boards and administrations should be well versed with their roles and responsibilities to ensure school operations run smoothly.
Acting deputy provincial administrator district services and Huon Gulf administrator Tony Ase, made the comment at the swearing-in ceremony for the Bowali Primary School board last Sunday at the school at Yanga village.
“The board is the custodian of the school and you must understand your responsibilities as it is very important – your job is in policies, you don’t meddle with administration operations,” Ase said.
Lae district education coordinator Russell Melpe told the new board headed by chairman Tawas Ngasinom that it was important for the head tea­cher and the board chairman to perform their roles separately so that they run the school transparently.
He said past board members had greater powers financially as they had direct access to government funds deposited into school accounts.
Ngasinom acknowledge the trust placed in him by his new board members and appealed to them to have a wider vision and plans to develop the school.
He also welcomed
the K100,000 assistance from the Lae district’s RESI funds.
The money will go towards more teachers housing, a project head teacher Keith Zampi initiated last year.
Zampi said he was happy with the progress of the Level Six  school, despite the setback faced in its 55 years of existence.
He said with the school’s policy in place, parents who failed to pay school fees last year would be taken to court if they did not clear their debts.