Students provided lessons at home

STUDENTS are to receive lessons through television, internet and radio broadcasts while at home during their extended Term One holidays, an official says.
Education secretary Dr Uke Komobra said the State of Emergency had already affected the 2020 academic year with students now four weeks behind schedule as regards the year’s curriculum.
“This (home school) does not replace the (2020 planned) curriculum but to (get) students to use their free time productively, with the support of their parents,” he said.
The one-week Term One holidays was to start on April 20. But students were sent home when the state of emergency on Covid-19 began on March 22. The holidays have since been extended to April 27.
Kombra said lessons must be conducted using various medium while children were at home.
Grades One to 11 students should check NBC Radio, EMTV, DigiTV, Click TV and NBC TV for lessons. Details of the programmes will be announced.
“The Flexible, Open and Distance Education (FODE) materials can be downloaded from http://education.gov.pg/moodle
He admitted that not all students especially those in remote locations would access the lessons.
“The national emergency was never expected and we are put in a difficult situation. So we will look at new ideas and strategies with our partners to address this challenge.”
Kombra also said K50 million would be paid into the bank accounts of schools this week. It is Batch One of Payment One.
Kombra also called on school board members and administrators to ensure that schools were locked down properly and teachers and their families well looked after.

Marape denies misuse of funds

PRIME Minister James Marape has denied a report that the K23 million allocated to the Health Department for its Covid-19 response had been misused.
The report aired last week by a media outlet was allegedly based on an interview with Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey who was concerned that part of the K23m had been allocated to hire cars and media personnel for the Covid-19 coverage.
Marape said Ling-Stuckey had denied saying what he was reported to have said.
“Nothing has been spent on hire cars or nothing has been spent on media personnel hired outside the (mainstream) media we are using today,” Marape said.
“Treasure Ian Ling-Stuckey told me he never expressly said that funds have been misused. The public is saying it might happen – that’s what he meant to say.”

Marape said only K6m of the K23m had been used so far. “From the K23 million K16,748,048 is still in the (trust) account,” he said.
He said it was not uncommon for politicians to be misquoted while rushing somewhere.
“You ask me a question while am in the middle of (something) and I may say something that means another thing,” Marape said.
He cautioned the media to base stories on facts.
Police Minister Bryan Kramer on his Facebook page confirmed that only K6,151,951.80 had been spent and K16,748,048.20 remaining in the Health Services Improvement Programme Trust Account.

Social media users warned against abuse

By LULU MARK
PEOPLE using social media to relay false and misleading information will be prosecuted, an official says.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Timothy Masiu has directed the National Information and Communication Authority (Nicta) to identify and prosecute those abusing social media especially during the national state of emergency.
He supported the earlier warning by the State of Emergency Controller David Manning that persons giving false and misleading information on social media were breaking the law and would be arrested.
Masiu said there had been an increase in the abuse of social media during the emergency period.
“I have given instruction for Nicta to meet with mobile phone operators and with Facebook and work out how to manage this abuse,” he said.
“We do not want to restrict freedom of speech but would emphasise on responsibility in what we make public and also on the expression of views.
“When we are facing a situation like Covid-19 pandemic, it becomes very important that we do not create unnecessary anxiety among our people.”
Prime Minister James Marape said last Friday that Manning had powers to charge people who spread false news and involved in cyber bullying.
Masiu also denied speculation that the roll-out of the 5G technology is linked to the spread of Covid-19.
“During these trying times, there would be a lot of conspiracy theories and other innuendos and blame games on social media in respect of the origin of Covid-19,” Masiu said.
“I strongly urge our people not to be easily mislead by these theories that are not based on any technological or medical research.”

Embassy working to help stranded citizens overseas

THE PNG embassy in Brussels is calling on Papua New Guineans in European nations on short-term visas to provide their locations for possible repatriation.
Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Joshua Kalinoe said the embassy was in contact with four PNG citizens who had been registered with the embassy.
“One is a mining engineer working in Guinea, West Africa. Three are in Europe, including a lecturer from the University of Technology in Lae who is on an academic exchange programme at a university outside Madrid, Spain. The other two are in France.
“The mining engineer in Guinea was advised by his employer to contact the embassy in case of any repatriation, if required.”
Kalinoe said the three in France and Spain had requested assistance for their return to PNG. Unitech lecturer Gibson Kupale who is stranded in Valladolid city, Spain told The National last week that he had already contacted the embassy in Brussels.
“They were very helpful and were able to support me all along as we worked on options for me to leave,” Kupale said.
Kalinoe said the embassy was in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Covid19 team in Port Moresby and working on getting the three to PNG through Australia, via Abu Dhabi.
Officials in Brussels are discussing the arrangements with colleagues in the Australian embassies in Paris and Madrid to facilitate their transit through Australia.
Kalinoe urged PNG citizens to inform the embassy of any friend or relative who may be in other countries in Europe through the Department of Foreign Affairs in Port Moresby.

ENB woman thanks God after testing ‘negative’

By REBECCA KUKU
THE woman tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday last week in East New Britain is happy that her second test result has come back “negative”.
Joanne Veronica Schulz, 40, a volunteer health worker, is now awaiting the result of the third test taken yesterday. But she thanked God for the good news.
“To God be the glory. Last night (Sunday), I read Philippians 4:13 that says: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” she said.
“Today (yesterday) on April 13 the results were announced as negative. And that is how God works. I can’t wait to be finally declared Covid-19 free as my family and I have been through hell. I just want this to end.”
The result of the second test was confirmed by acting secretary for Health Dr Paison Dakulala yesterday. He said a third sample had been collected from Schulz and if again negative, she would be declared Covid-19-free. Schulz also told The National yesterday said she was relieved that test results for people who had come in contact with her were all negative.
“My biggest concern was my contacts. So when their results came back negative too, I just thanked God.”
Schulz said she trusted people who had been working on her case. She hopes that the third test result will also be “negative”.
She was first tested on March 30 which was positive, making her the second person in the country to be confirmed as Covid-19-positive.
The second sample was collected on April 7 which came back negative. The third sample was collected yesterday.