Students to see boycott through

 THE boycotting of classes at the Mt Hagen Technical College by 500 students stays until a positive response is given on their petition, leader Emmanue Yalga says.

He was responding to a plea by the deputy secretary for technical and vocational education training (TVET) and Unesco director Godfrey Yeruafor students to return to classes.

The students want a principal appointed, the removal of the acting deputy principal of curriculum, appointment of a new governing council, a separate head of the department of auto-electrical and motor vehicle.

They also want Marcus Waimea to be the principal, Peter Kuri to be deputy principal (administration) and Gerry Tete to be deputy principal (curriculum).

The petition was delivered to the college administration last Monday and copied to the Department of Higher Education, Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra, Teachers Service Commission, assistant secretary for technical and vocational training Monica Maluan and Yerua.

Yerua told the students that the appointment was done by the National Education Board.

“My advice to you all is to return to class and allow the administration offices to open because boarding student will need to be taken care of,” he said.

Yalga said this college had been for years managed by acting principals, no board of governors and an unstable administration.

“Therefore, these issues faced by the school were not solved,” Yalga said.

“This time we have to stand up and speak out because we are the ones affected.” 

He said they did not have proper toilets, ablution blocks and the infrastructure was old.

“These are problems that were a threat to students health that affected their learning as well,” Yalga said.