School faces closure

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Gabmazung Primary School in Huon Gulf district, Morobe, is under increasing pressure to end its academic year early because it has yet to receive its education subsidy.
Head teacher Herman Agregum said the level-five primary school had met all the requirements set by the Education Department but not one deposit had been made into its
school account.
Agregum said that had resulted in the school incurring rising debts to keep operating.
“Despite complaints from my teachers and parents, I have opted against shutting down the school and sending the students home because the students will suffer, but the school cannot go on like this,” he said.
He said despite filling in the school census form and having a bank account, he had been repeatedly told to check again by the officers in Port Moresby.
“Even the name of the school was published in the newspapers saying the school was to receive K66,000 in its first quarterly subsidy payment but there is nothing so far,” he said.
“We are operating in the red, there is not one single subsidy deposit made yet and there are no supplies for the students and teachers. The teachers are working under strain which was not good,” he said.
He said there were pressing demands for stationery, teaching materials and other costs like photocopying papers.
He said his calculations based on the policy of K270 for each student and having 443 students the school was expecting more than K119,000 by the end of this academic year.