Wasu’s education woes

By VICKY BAUNKE

WASU Secondary School located in the Wasu LLG of the Tewai Siassi District in Morobe initially began as the Wasu High School in 1991. Six years ago it was upgraded to secondary school status.
Located on a hill overlooking Wasu government station near Finschhafen, the school has in the past attracted the attention of authorities following frequent reports of fighting among its students. That has not done any good to the reputation of the school and especially in it’s attempt to seek help.
It is now six years on since its inception as a secondary school but things don’t seem to be getting any better. There are problems such as limited number of classrooms and overcrowding due to an increasing number of intakes. Dormitories are overcrowded. Classrooms and dormitories are also rundown. There is no proper source of water supply and even teacher housing is limited.
The school currently enrolls 950 students from the Tewai Siassi and neighboring Kabwum districts, with the majority of them boarders, but life as a student and teacher can be difficult when things are not at where they should be.
Enter the SLIP programme. SLIP stands for School Learning and Improvement Plan. It is a guideline that helps schools budget the TFF, DSIP and PSIP grants into seven focus areas. These are student welfare, teaching and learning curriculum, leadership, management, infrastructure, teacher’s professional development and community relationship. All these have to be encapsulated in the school’s annual budget over the next three years.
Wasu is among schools in Morobe to have implemented the SLIP plan in the hope of making things better for everyone concerned.
According to Principal Alphonse Kamba teachers, head of departments and other stakeholders spent three long weeks and sleepless nights in an effort to compile a three-year dossier that would capture the needs of the school.
Kamba said: “The school learning and improvement plan is a way forward to changing the rural high school into a competitive secondary school
in Morobe.”
“It is time Wasu changes. We want to compete with city schools but behind success there is always struggle.”
Morobe Secondary Schools Standard Officer Gesengsu Aisi said there had been requests from the school’s administration to local government leaders and the community to help maintain and develop the school.
“When all school infrastructure and facilities like teacher’s houses, library, classrooms and other technical buildings are available at the school then there is a happy environment for learning and teaching.”
There is a dire need for more teachers at Wasu but the critical shortage of houses means that no other teacher take up residence and the students suffer as a consequence.
“How can I send teachers here to fill about 29 teaching spaces when they have no place to live and sleep?” Asi said.
“The challenges and reality of running a school falls on the leadership and administration of the school and the person who initiated the three-year SLIP plan…when there is change of leadership the SLIP plan of the school is affected.”
Morobe Education Services Advisor Berei Kalo received Wasu’s plan saying change only happens when one initiates it.
He took time to also encourage students to read books and speak English so that they can widen their vocabulary and understanding of the language.
“That is the key to academic excellence,” said Kalo.