Students thank embassy

By ROSELYN ELLISON
STUDENTS and teachers of St Joseph Primary School at Napapar two in Gazelle’s Central Gazelle local level government (LLG), East New Britain, have reason to celebrate the opening of a new classroom building funded by the Japanese Embassy.
During the opening ceremony, head teacher Francis Funmat said the school faced challenges with a lack of classroom buildings and this assistance from the embassy was much appreciated.
Funmat said the building would house two classes of grade eights which would be used starting next year; the building would also house a teacher’s staff room.
He said the level five school had 17 teaching staff and total of 445 students.
Funmat said the building would allow the school’s administration to addressing a shortage of classrooms which had been due to an increase in student numbers.
“Our main problem here is spacing and classroom shortage and now we are thankful for this great support given to us by Japanese Embassy and the people of Japan as this building will serve its purpose accordingly,” he said.
Japanese Ambassador Kuniyuki Nakahara when presenting the keys of the new building to the school administration, told the teachers, students and parents that the total cost of the building project was K271,616 and the funding had come from the office of the Embassy of Japan.
Nakahara said education was not only a vital tool to acquire knowledge and skills but it was also an investment for the future.
He said the Japanese government was always pleased to assist and support the National Government’s efforts to improve the education sector. Nakahara told the people of Napapar that the classroom building was a gift from the people of Japan and urged the students to look after the facilities.