by Sylvester Gawi – EM TV, Lae
More funding support is needed in the marking of examination papers for grade ten students in the Morobe province.
The funding of K20,000 to pay for expenses during the examination and the marking period has been exhausted.
Marking was suspended last Friday and resumed this morning at the Bugandi Secondary School in Lae.
This came after teachers involved in the marking were not paid their allowances, which forced the suspension of marking last week.
The funding of K20,000 from the Morobe Division of Education was insufficient and could not cater for their meals, accommodations and security throughout the marking period.
Much of these funds were used up last week.
Up to 40 teachers have been engaged in the marking of the examination papers, 16 of them are from rural schools.
The numbers of markers have also increased over the years due to the outcome-based education policy, where new subjects were also tested in the examinations.
The Morobe education division, however, has not come out clear on how much additional funds they will give; teachers say they would need almost K30,000.
The Morobe Division of Education has also asked schools in Lae to provide money to facilitate for the remaining one week.
However, school principals expressed disappointment over the budget preparations by the provincial education division. The problem has been ongoing for almost a decade.
The funding should be increased to K50,000 to cater for the additional subjects that are included in the examination.
For many schools, especially in rural outlying districts, the funding is insufficient to bring their teachers in for marking.
It is also understood that some teachers from rural Pindiu and Siassi have returned to their schools, due to accommodation difficulties in Lae.
Meanwhile, parents have been assured that marking will continue while teachers await the education division to sort out the funding problem.
