Students in remote school start year with high spirits

MORE than 500 students from Kondopina High School in Western Highlands will start the academic year in high spirits after wearing school uniforms for the first time this year.
School board chairman Rodney Rot Kur said the uniforms had lifted the mood of the students who were looking forward to resumption of classes which had been delayed by the registration process, with long queues at banks as parents and guardians look to make payments.
The school is charging K220 as the project fee and K150 for uniforms to be paid by parents.
“This school started grade nine classes back in 2016 and graduated them as pioneer year 10s the following year,” Kur said.
“After six years, we’ve decided to purchase uniforms for our students.
“It gives identity to both students and the school.”
He said the school needed more infrastructure.
“We are looking at undertaking one project at a time, but funding is our main challenge.”
According to deputy principal Joe Wau, local shop Wanbel Tailoring supplied them with 500 sets of uniforms consisting of a green top and dark blue bottom which matches the colour of the buildings at the school.
The school has 16 teachers and the principal is Andrew Johns.
It is one of the 50 high schools established by Western Highlands governor Paias Wingti.
Due to its location at the border of Western Highlands and Jiwaka, the school comprises students from both provinces.
“We would like to see politicians from Jiwaka chip in funds to help achieve our plans for infrastructure development such as classrooms, teachers’ houses, science laboratories, an administration block and a library among others to enable it to reach secondary status,” Kur said.
He said Kondopina would be elevated to a secondary school next year.