SLIP helps Unggai-Bena schools

By ZACHERY PER
MANAGEMENT of schools in Unggai-Bena district, Eastern Highlands, will come under  scrutiny as the district moves to implement the school learning improvement plan (SLIP).
Assistant secretary of standards unit of the Education Department Peter Kants launched the SLIP for the district at Ketarabo Primary School outside Goroka town yesterday.
Under the new initiative, the operation of the schools including care of infrastructures, expenditures of funds and other related programmes will be a combine effort of all stakeholders.
Kants said that for the past 30 years after independence, there had been a tendency for the people to wait for others to come around and tell them what to do with colonial school infrastructures.
He said there was a study in 2005 and 2006 that resulted in the birth of SLIP for schools in the country to make relevant stakeholders including parents, communities, local level governments, teachers, students, churches, provincial and national governments to be responsible for managing the school operations.
“Three years after the implementation of SLIP, a review team comprising stakeholders can review and assess the performances and make recommendations,” Kants said.
Lower Bena LLG president Jerika Haki thanked the Education Department for launching SLIP in Unggai-Bena district saying they give priority to develop human resources for the district.
Haki said all requests for funding from the district must be accompanied by individual SLIP.
“No SLIP means no funding for the schools. I have given priority to education for my LLG since 2008, through SLIP there will be accountability and transparency,” he said.
Provincial senior standards officer Mupe Kaupa said SLIP was first introduced in the province in 2007 and the interest had grown from strength to strength and will now cover the entire province by the end of this week.
He said Daulo, Goroka and Lufa districts had launched their programmes last year and Unggai-Bena, Henganofi, Kainantu and Okapa districts should have their launchings by this week.
There was no mention for the remote Obura-Wonenara district.
“SLIP is a new concept coming with the Education Reform to transform school system and administration which is very good. My regret is that it was not introduced 20 years ago,” Kaupa said.
It is a bottom-up planning that allows various stakeholders to participate in running of schools.
Provincial education adviser Conrad Esoke said the onus was on everyone implement SLIP, adding that without actual implementation, planning is of nouse.
He challenged the school administrations to be committed in implementing the new concept.
Standards officers present were Peter Danga (Lufa), Pius Miamel (Unggai-Bena), Tobby Samo (Daulo), Antonia Warkia (Henganofi), Francis Alua (Kainantu) and  Albert Wesley (Okapa).