The Secretary for Education, Dr Uke Kombra has urged the NCD District Education Board to immediately suspend Gerehu principals following explicit mufti day celebration.
Dr Kombra call for the suspension of Principal Junnie Samson, and the Deputy Principals and the entire Gerehu Secondary School Board of Governors.
This is following the mufti day event hosted on July 4, 2025 that showed students displaying unacceptable and indecent performances.
This suspension will remain in effect pending the outcome of a thorough investigation into the planning, approval, and the conduct of the event.
Secretary Dr Uke Kombra expressed grave concern over reports indicating that the school leadership may allowed the unacceptable behaviours that violate PNG cultural norms, Christian values, and the expected standards within the education system to take place.
“The Committee will investigate how the event was planned and executed, identify those responsible, assess breaches of departmental policies and cultural codes, and recommend disciplinary measures as well as safeguards to prevent future occurrences,” Dr Kombra said.
The Committee has been instructed to submit a comprehensive report to the Secretary’s office within two weeks of its formation.
Meanwhile, NCD District Education Board (DEB) is directed to meet immediately to appoint a Deputy Principal who was not heavily involved in the event to oversee the school’s operations. DEB can also consider suitable Deputy Principals and Principals of other Secondary Schools in NCD.
Dr Kombra reaffirmed the Department’s unwavering commitment to upholding Papua New Guinea’s cultural heritage, Christian values, and the integrity of the PNG National Education System.
Not only the unacceptable mufti day celebrations by Gerehu Secondary School celebrations but an investigation must be conducted on the Gerehu Secondary School DODL Centre.
The DODL Centre does not provide School results transcripts for its students on the expected time as required.
For instance, students who did DODL classes last year 2024, were told that their transcripts would be ready in August 2025. My goodness!
That’s eight(8) months after completing their classes. We expect transcripts to be made available on reasonable time, so that parents could be able to make decisions whether to register their children in other tertiary or training institutions or to let their children upgrade their other subject grading.
To add salt to the wound, they tell their students who enquire on their transcripts to pay K6 into their school account to br provided their transcript. Why couldn’t they add that K6 as part of the school fee in the start of the school year. It is embarrassing for students to go into a bank and stand in a long queue just to pay K6. This only shows lack of administrative planning by the school administration.
As I send this concern to you, our children are still waiting gor their last years transcripts which will be available next month August..