School closes despite TFF policy

THE board chairman of a school in Lae which has been forced to close because of its ageing infrastructure, says the Government’s tuition fee free subsidy is ineffective.
Huonville Primary School board chairman Robin Kunai said the free education policy had not impacted students and parents.
Kunai said the 30 per cent teaching and learning component parked in Treid Pacific, and the 30 per cent infrastructure component allocated to district administration had not been received.
“The 40 per cent administration package is allocated in drip and drabs, and unable to fully utilise to complete planned activities,” Kunai said.
He said it put the school administration in an awkward position.
Kunai said the student-teacher ratio was 50 to 1 per class. There are 45 teachers and 1869 students in 24 classes.
Kunai said the Lae district administration had told the school it had never received any subsidy for the school since 2013.
Official Anton Warakai said the Lae district and provincial education had told the school not to expect government funding as they had no money to build new facilities.
“We are talking about the plight of innocent children suffering at homes missing out classes waiting in vain for makeshift classrooms to be built,” Warakai said.
Former head teacher Orama Gaitu said he managed the school from 1995-2001 with school fees paid by parents until top-up was introduced.