School shut over toilet issue

 A PRIMARY school in Madang has been closed indefinitely because there are no toilets for students and teachers.

The pit toilet at the Rempi Primary School has been locked following a dispute over the land on which the school is located.

The toilet was locked on February 10, prompting a school inspector to suspend classes at the school.

A source said the students had been told to stay home until further notice.

The school authorities are expected to meet with village elders and those claiming to own the land tomorrow to sort out the matter.

The school wanted to replace the pit toilet but could not proceed on it because of the land dispute. 

Attempts to get comments from the education division in Madang were unsuccessful. 

Meanwhile, parents in Madang and other parts of the country who recently complained about the excessive school project fees imposed have been advised that K200 is the maximum.

Acting Education Minister James Marape told Parliament yesterday in response to a query from Usino-Bundi MP Anton Yagama that there was clear policy on the amount of project fees schools could impose on parents.

Yagama told Parliament that the only high school in his electorate was charging K500 as project fee which was a burden on parents and guardians.

Marape said the National Education Board had set a limit of K200 and no school board must charge anything above that.