Schools continuing classes despite earthquake damage

Southern Highlands provincial education adviser Chm Pepio says schools in the province are continuing classes to complete the academic year despite the destruction of school facilities by the Feb 26 earthquake.
“Many schools have lost buildings and properties but this will not become the reason to disturb the schooling year as our concern is the children’s education. Education is priority and students will continue to learn,” he said.
Mepio said the provincial education building in Mendi had collapsed and any support or funding received would be use to maintain it to monitor schools operations.
He said many schools have been affected but he will prioritise students learning despite the disaster, adding that tuition fee-free (TFF) fund was paid and schools have no reasons to close.
“Because of the earthquake student’s leanings have been affected and so we will look at what best we can do to catch up with the education calendar,” Mepio said.
He said though Southern Highlands was affected by the earthquake, this will not stop classes.
Many schools even find it hard to accommodate the students but Mepio said his office will go around to see the best ways or location that they (students) can fit in.
“I would like the students to return to school and complete their learning as education is their future,” Mepio said.
“Priority now is to maintain the affected provincial education office then look at other areas. Southern Highlands will continue to treat education as special and no students will be at home by now.”
Mepio said Ialibu Secondary School had an incident last month in which a grade 11 students died and that affected students but his office would wait for the outcome of an investigation before deciding whether to take further action or not.
“Otherwise I’m expecting the schools to continue to operate and students should be in the classrooms and learning,” he said.