Schools in Western Highlands start classes

By ELIAS LARI
ALMOST all schools in Western Highlands – including the ones run by the Catholic Church – have begun classes, according to education adviser Nokks Kiap.
Kiap said more than 100 schools run by the church which refused to start classes because of a dispute over the teachers appointed, had opened their doors.
Kiap said 99 per cent of the schools resumed normal classes yesterday while only a few were still sorting out some minor problems.
He said most Catholic-run schools resumed classes last week and 13 began yesterday.
Kiap said the provincial education board was the authority which appointed teachers and they had accepted that. “In every beginning of the year it is normal for many schools to start late because of various reasons,” he said.
“Teachers postings are another issue which normally affect many schools but eventually things will return to normal,” Kiap said.
He said there was a hiccup with the teacher postings which caused the delay to the schooling year.
“We are not late. We are on time. And I’m happy that classes have resumed and children are in the classrooms,” he said.
On the tuition fee-free funding, Kiap said payments were made into school bank accounts two weeks ago.
Kiap said he had suspended some accounts after the recent dispute but would lift the suspension so that schools could access their TFF funds.
“Otherwise schools in Western Highlands have commenced on time and are working according to the education calendar,” Kiap said.
Attempts to get in touch with the Catholic Education board chairman Joe Yaga to confirm if Catholic schools had resumed normal classes were not successful yesterday.