By Bridgette Komatep – EM TV, Port Moresby
Grade 10 students attending the Waigani Christian School under the government’s pilot project on Standards Based Education, face the grim reality of being forced out of school.
With just weeks away before the national examinations, they want the government to honour its commitment and fully fund the trial project by supporting the school financially.
Over 400 students were selected from schools throughout NCD to pilot the government’s standard based education system.
Waigani Christian School is a private school, but it was recently certified and recognised as an NCD school.
There are 11 classes of Grade 10’s classes, totaling 465 students, trialing out the government project on Standard Base Education.
The only assistance received from the government was the Tuition Fee Free funding of K500, 000.
However, Director and Founder, Benjamin Mul, says, this is insufficient to run the education trial project. These concerns were also raised by Principal, Abakure Kaupa, and representatives of the student council, who are the affected Grade 10 students. They included Kaupa Baulin, Calisha Aume and Sharon Baro.
The arrangement for the school to pilot the government‘s Standard Based Education system was announced by the then Education Minister, James Marape. When the portfolio was given to Nick Kuman, Mr Marape wrote a letter dated March 11th in 2014, directing the education minister to assist the institution.
K500,000 was released, however, this was not enough to cater for administrative costs for last year and this year. The school has been forced to sustain itself through internal funding. The students are now worried that they may miss out on their national exams.
The school administration has given the government 14 days to respond. If nothing is done, the Grade 10 students will be forced out of school.
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