Teachers petition board

 By PISAI GUMAR

TEACHERS at Nawaeb High School in Morobe have petitioned the provincial education board over constant armed holdups of staff and students along the road.

The staff, fearing for their lives, have appealed to education authorities to suspend the 2014 academic year and relocate the school if  communities along the Bumayong-Gobadik road cannot respect teachers, students and school properties.

Last Wednesday, 12 men armed with five shotguns, three pistols and three bush knives held up seven teachers and escaped with cash and goods worth K10,000.

Among the victims was Snr Const Dick Sombeya from the Traffic Registry Unit. 

Principal Gobuta Kosieng, who was a victim, said this was the eighth time staff members were held up at Posi (Gobadik) junction since establishment of the school in 2004.

Kosieng said that such incidents began in 2006 and had resulted in the death of a student and stabbing of another in 2012.

“Lives of teachers and students travelling to and from school were no longer safe and it requires responsible authorities, especially the education board and police, to negotiate for drastic measures,” Gobuta said.

The school has 600 students and 15 staff.

“If authorities cannot do something then this school needs to be relocated elsewhere within one of the council areas of the Nawaeb district,” Gobuta said.

Two police mobile squad units were called into the area but no arrest has been made.

Charlie 13 mobile commander, Tennyson Joseph appealed to communities and leaders along the area to cooperate with police and provide necessary information of the suspects.