All schools close as SHP checks quake damage

By JAMES GUMUNO
ALL schools in the Southern Highlands are closed indefinitely because of the damage caused by last Monday’s earthquake, acting provincial administrator Thomas Eluh says.
Eluh said on Friday in Mendi that many schools had been badly affected by the earthquake and were unsafe to use.
Roads which are to be used by students to reach their schools were also unsafe.
Eluh had notified the management of all schools of the suspension of classes.
“For security reasons, I order all schools closed,” he said.
“They will reopen after assessing the damage to see if infrastructures are suitable for students to occupy.”
Eluh said the big schools in Nipa-Kutubu, Mendi-Munhiu, parts of Ialibu-Pangia and Imbonggu had been destroyed and damaged.
“We do not want to deprive the rights of the students from their education but their safety is very important,” he said.
He said the school board and teachers should assess the situation and decide if it was safe to resume classes.
The Mendi School of Nursing suffered extensive damage to classrooms, office and the dormitory.