Teachers want issues sorted

By GLORIA BAUAI
TEACHERS in Northern will withdraw services in the fourth term if the escalating law and order situation is not addressed by the provincial heads, says an official.
Papua New Guinea Teachers Association Northern branch president Bradley Teru said the rise in consumption of homebrew (eveka) and marijuana by youths had posed serious safety risks for his teachers.
“We have evidence of teachers being held up, murdered, stabbed and robbed,” he said.
“We’ve knocked on certain doors, but our cry has fallen on deaf ears as the law and order situation continues out of proportion.
“There has not been any education board meeting since February for the union to present our concerns.
“It even came to a point where we had to close schools for a day or two, even a month at one stage, but this didn’t catch the attention of our provincial government nor our provincial education board.
“Our stand now is that all teachers will withdraw services this term, leaving only skeleton staff operating; we’ll wait for Grades Eight, 10 and 12 teachers who have another five weeks or so, and once the national exams are completed, all teachers will stand down if this problem still remains unattended by provincial heads.”
Teru said the worst affected were schools within Popondetta, especially Popondetta Secondary, Resurrection and Popondetta primary schools.
“The town is out of discipline as well as the outskirts going up Kokoda way and down the Oro Bay, Afore road. The police are outnumbered and powerless; both the working population and those unemployed are affected,” he said.
“The concern is on the health and education workforce which are very essential government services most of whom are not from the province.
“So this is a big threat to their lives, and we can’t continue like this with no safety guaranteed.”