School gets K150,000 classroom

By EHEYUC SESERU
The Tanam Adventist Primary School in Wampar, Morobe, opened a permanent double classroom worth more than K150, 000 on Thursday.
The four-in-one double classroom was the first permanent infrastructure built by the school since its establishment in 2010.
The classroom was dedicated and opened by Seventh-day Adventist Morobe Mission president Pastor Blassius Managos and Treasurer Dick Harevila.
A permanent administration building opened last year.
The classroom was financed by parents through parent support fees.
“The classroom was funded by parents with little support from tuition fee-free (TFF) components the school received from 2015 to 2017 with K20,000 support from former Morobe Governor Kelly Naru,” school principal Rickson Kamban says.
“The classroom will accommodate grades seven and eight.”
Kamban said the school had struggled with the lack of learning facilities since it operated as an elementary school with a bush material classroom and 100 students eight years ago.
“Students enrolment has increased while 90 per cent of the classrooms are bush materials,” Kamban said.
“The school now has 363 elementary and 403 primary students. Parents are the backbone and have worked hard for the new classroom.”
Blassius praised parents for being self reliant and said the classroom was a catalyst for educational change.
He said the church was pleased to have partnered with government to deliver education services to the people. Acting Huon Gulf education manager and basic education inspector Sam Geseng challenged the school’s parents to change their perception and not to look at big people for development.
“Parents are champions. They have proven to be self reliant.” Geseng said.
“All parents must make a commitment to support schools. Do away with the hand-out mentality and take ownership to develop schools.”