School to build classrooms to tackle overcrowding

By AGNES FIFI UKI
ONE of the top schools in the National Capital District, Wardstrip Demonstration Primary School, is overcrowded due to an increase in the number of students enrolled this year.
This has prompted the students’ parents to build two new double classrooms.
School principal Sam Puwa, deputy board chairman Silvenus Vaso and treasurer Mathew Kulimbo yesterday presented a cheque for K43,170 each to the managing director of Flying Builders, Kenneth Gaironama, and the managing director of Capital Project Ltd, Thomas Rombuk.
The total cost for the project is about K200,000.
The two companies will build the two new double classrooms.
With the introduction of the government’s fee-free education policy this year, the school saw an increase of 300 students enrolling, taking its enrolment to 2,500 students.
Puwa said: “The normal students-teacher ratio should be one teacher to 30 students.
“But here in Wardstrip, we have one teacher to 70 students in a class.”
He said after a meeting of the teachers and parents, the school board sought and received approval from the NCD school board for parents of students there to pay K100 project fee so they could build the new classrooms.
Rombuk said it would take about two months to complete the two buildings, depending on the supply of materials and the weather.
The school has appealed for financial help from Moresby Northeast MP Andrew Mald, NCD Governor Powes Parkop and other organisations so it can complete the classrooms.