By Sharlyne Eri – EMTV News, Lae
The issue with the shortage of Standard Based Curriculum resources is costing schools a lot of money. Some schools are currently are spending thousands of kina on printing extra copies and apart from that, the contents of some SBC booklets require additional textbooks and items – this, is yet another expense that schools are having to meet.
St Martin’s Catholic Primary School is one of several other schools in the Morobe Province that has confirmed a shortage of SBC resources. And just like other schools, St Martin’s has resorted to printing copies.
The School’s Head Teacher, Mr. Sakale Popen said the school has so far spent almost K11, 000 on printing. Some of these expenses include toners; A4 and A3 sized papers and ink. Teachers need additional textbooks and items to complete a certain topic for every SBC component.
Each SCB component has its own expense, meaning each topic requires additional resources. Therefore, on top of printing expenses, schools also have to purchase these additional supplies.
Mr. Popen said despite the Government’s commitment to supplying SCB resources on time, the resources are not enough to cater to the student population and students are the ones who are mostly affected by this situation. It also affects the daily lesson planning of teachers, who often have to share resources such as teacher’s guides.
Meanwhile, Mr. Popen commended the Government and Education Department on its efforts in providing the resources, however, the reality of limited resources remains. Despite this, the Head Teacher said students’ learning is a priority and St Martin’s will do everything in its capacity to deliver SBC this year.
