Village to celebrate school’s first graduation

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
A PRIMARY school located on the border of Morobe, Gulf and Central provinces will be graduating its grade 8 students, nine years after reopening.
Kasuma Primary School, which was established by the Morobe government through the education division in 1984, was suspended and closed in 1999.
It was reopened in 2009.
School board vice-chairman Dick Mato said it was the first
time the remote school would be graduating 26 students grade 8 students.
“In 2011, these students were enrolled and have been very faithful in completing each of their classes and grades,” he said.
“We will be having our first graduation ceremony on November 30.
“There are a total of 568 students from Grade 3 to grade 8 enrolled in the school this year.”
Kasuma village is in ward 5 of Waria local level government in Bulolo district, Morobe.
Mato said within 10 years of the school’s closure, many students
got married: Most are illiterate today.
He said basic services such as feeder roads needed to be constructed so that students could be able to go out and continue their education.
Mato said there were are many children who were yet to go to school.
The primary school system could not cater for them.
“The villagers currently use a bush track we call the Wilimip road,” Mato said.
It is our only link to Waria,
because the main road ends at Waria.”
“The community and parents of the students are very helpful.
“Over the years, we have been carrying school materials and supplies through this bush track.
“We have an aid post, but the officer in charge died last year and there are no health staff there.”
A public servant and local from the area Senny Kai said Kasuma village was the “last village to receive government services”.
“There are only two government services: The primary school and the aid post.
“Road is the most important thing.
“Once it is in place, then other services will go in.
“However, despite this, the villagers still rebuilt the school and got students to attend classes.
“The graduation ceremony for the grade 8 students is an achievement for the whole village.”