Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro, says the department is serious in weeding out all cult students in all schools in the country.

Uguro also condemned school fights saying it takes time, effort and money to build schools and it will take ages to rebuild.

“Don’t burn schools; communities should look after the school” said Uguro.

The Minister made these remarks during a reconciliation ceremony at St Michael’s Brahman Secondary School in Bundi LLG, Usino Bundi District on Monday.

The school was closed for almost seven months following an incident in July 2021 that affected the whole student population of grades 9, 10, 11 and 12.

The education minister, who is also the local member of Usino-Bundi electorate told the school’s board and management he was not aware of the school’s closure.

Adding the incident was easy to manage yet the school had the audacity to close the school without informing him as the minister responsible.

He said the school’s Board of Management does not have the authority to close down the school; only the minister has the prerogative.

“The Provincial Education Board or PEB only recommends the school’s suspension and the school’s closure to the education minister and Brahman you did not follow the rules”.

The Minister says education is the responsibility of everyone and not just parents, and students.

“Education is the light of your body, is the light of your journey, is the light of your life, look after education infrastructural facilities of institutions in the country,” said Uguro.

The local MP acknowledged the effort and commitment by the school’s Board of Management, teachers, students, parents and the community to reconcile.

“Today you restore peace in the community and the school, and I say thank you to the school and the community. Today is the demonstration of your peaceful heart”.

“I am not wasting my time putting up seven high schools and putting agriculture college here for nothing. I have a dream for Usino-Bundi people, one day Usino-Bundi must take on University on behalf of Madang province. As soon as I come back after election, I must get ministry and make sure all the seven high schools must take on National high school status.

“Usino Bundi, you got only one more step to go, you got a college already in your doorstep, people of Brahman, Bundi people you got to be happy you have a high school”.

The Minister added that the Marape government is now focused on the rural education program.

The government is adamant that education reach the rural and remote locations of the country and there must be high schools set up in the remote parts of Papua New Guinea.

“And we are starting with Usino-Bundi, said Uguro”.

Meanwhile the Minister pledged a commitment to assist the school with student uniforms and a computer laboratory.

The school held a reconciliation ceremony on Monday with exchange of traditional foods and pigs to mark an end to the school fight.

People in Malo Village of New Ireland have now chosen to break political barriers and choose service over politics.

In a recent gathering in Malo Village in the Matalai LLG in Namatanai, the Community witnessed the opening of a double classroom by Namatanai MP, Walter Schnaubelt.

The Namatanai MP and Civil Aviation Minister were given a traditional welcome ceremony signifying their entrance into the area.

During the opening of the double classroom for Malo Primary School, MP Schnaubelt said the future of the Province depends on the investment by levels of Government for children to be educated in a better environment.

“I’m not here for politics, but to serve and ensure services reach people in our communities” said MP Schnaubelt.

“It’s for the future generation of Malo who deserve to have a proper classroom”, he added.

The double classroom cost K60,000 and would be used by Grade 7 and 8 students.

The Namatanai MP also committed K50,000 for the construction of teachers houses and a school library. Schnaubelt also pledged around K80,000 for schools in the area. These include Malo Primary, Malo Elementary and a Phonics Early Learning Centre.

Malo Head teacher, Bernadine Neantal, thanked the Namatanai District Development Authority for the timely funding to see the double classroom completed and ready for use.

Mrs. Neantal said the school is a Level 4 institution and the Upper Primary will benefit from the new classroom.

“We are privileged to be supported by the Namatanai DDA for change and progress for our children”, said the Head Teacher.

A K10,000 commitment was also made for an aid post in Malo.

A Community representative said for a very long time no government funding was allocated to assist improve health services in the area.

Malo Aid Post Chairman, Tomarum Emes said not only education is important but health is also equally important. Emes said the funding will surely improve the status of the Aid Post for people to access health services in this part of New Ireland.

He said they will utilize the K10,000 to build a new maternity wing and immunization room.

Susurunga Primary School in New Ireland has a new hall.

The hall was recently opened by Namatanai MP, Walter Schnaubelt witnessed by students, teachers, school board and locals in Matalai LLG.

The hall is a commitment by the Open MP.

The school hall cost K70,000 and is funded by the Namatanai District Development Authority.

MP Schnaubelt expressed gratitude to the Susurunga school Board and Administration for utilizing the fundS for a vital facility.

“The hall is built as a result of prudent management and priority planning by the school authority”, said MP Schnaubelt.

“This is a classic example of building a better future for our children, the hall must be used wisely for the benefit of students, teachers and the local community”, said MP Schnaubelt.

The Namatanai MP said if schools in the District perform to expectations by using funding intended for development and improve learning, the DDA will step in to assist in building schools.

Susurunga School Head Teacher, Bruno Willie thanked the Namatanai DDA for funding the new school hall.

Mr Willie said the project team and local LLG President, Augustine Topi ensured the project was completed successfully.

Willie also mentioned additional projects include a new library, teachers houses, toilets and fencing around the school premises.

Meanwhile, MP Schnaubelt announced a commitment of K100,000 for Susurunga Primary School and K20,000 for Litoron Elementary School.

Morobe’s Education Provincial Program Adviser, Keith Tangui has warned teachers that sexual relationships or abuse towards students is a crime under the Teaching Service Commission Act and they will be terminated if found guilty.

His warning follows an incident of students allegedly attacking a teacher at the Wasu Secondary School, in Morobe’s Tewai Siassi District, over rape accusations against the teacher.

The Morobe Provincial Police have reported that on the 17th of this month, the teacher (male) was allegedly attacked by some students at around 2-3am in the early hours of the morning.

Morobe Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Jacob Singura said the teacher was trying to rape a female student at the school’s basketball court when two male students caught him in the act. The teacher then attacked one of the students when he realized that they had seen him.

“The two boys ran to their dormitory and alerted other male students where they came back and allegedly attacked the teacher by chopping him on both shoulders,” Singura said.

Morobe’s Education PPA Mr Tangui said while the incident is a police matter now, the Provincial Education Division is also required under the TSC Act to present a report to the Provincial Education Board.

“My Deputy has already visited Wasu and is yet to present a report, as soon as it’s done, we will present it to the PEC.”

“Teacher’s suffering at the hands of the community is due to several reasons and those reasons will be spelt out during the investigation,”Tangui said.

Mr Tangui has cautioned teachers to be very careful in their conduct as committing such an offence toward a student is a serious crime and will result in termination.

Meanwhile the Provincial Police are still investigating the matter and have since arrested four suspects alleged to be involved in attacking the teacher.

Work on the construction of the new Manam high school has already started at Potsdam care centre on the mainland of Bogia District last Friday.

The new high school will occupy 8.4 hectares of land. Yabu LLG President, Kenny Boli, says the school was initiated to accommodate Manam students and the host communities.

This is to address the limited number of spaces for students at the Holy Spirit High School.

Boli further noted that the construction of the new school was also due to too many clashes by different factions at Holy spirit high school.

Thus, the project was an initiative of Yabu LLG with a funding allocation of K50 thousand kina and support by the Bogia District Development Authority with an additional K100 thousand kina.

The new high school once completed will benefit close to 500 students.

Phase one of the project was community clearing, phase 2 was land scaping by Madang works department, phase 3 was survey and phase 4, construction.

The construction of the new high school is also a reminder to the PNG government’s continuous neglect on the internally displaced Manam islanders living in the carecentres.

It’s been 18 years since the major eruption that resulted in the evacuation of islanders from Manam to the carecentres on the mainland.

The internally displaced persons are still waiting on the PNG government to resettle them to Andarum in the hinterlands of Bogia District.

Newly appointed Principal of Huon Gulf’s Salamaua High School in Morobe, Norman Apul told Lae media that the High School has taken radical steps to bring normalcy back to the school, especially with the school facility, curriculum and teaching and learning.

Mr Apul said under his leadership, they are prioritizing the welfare of the teachers and students and teamwork is paramount to achieve the school’s aim of academic excellence.

Salamaua Provincial High School is a boarding facility in Morobe with rundown dormitories, classrooms and teachers’ houses. Last year, the students burnt down two classrooms. The school currently has no electricity and lacks logistics support to travel to Lae and back for operational runs. Some male students are currently using their condemned ablution blocks as rooms.

The school also needs a health facility to access health services.

There was no support from the District over the past years.

The school has a population of almost 700 students and 22 teachers, including 15 who are currently on campus. Seven teachers are still in Lae due to no accommodation.

The school was established in 1995. It is located in Kela Village, Salamaua, South-West of Lae City. It is an hour’s travel from Lae by boat.

According to the School’s Principal, Mr. Apul, over the past six weeks, the school renovated and maintained a boys’ dormitory, few teachers’ houses and staff room.

He said they would continue to maintain the other dormitories for both the male and female students.

The school administration has also built new toilets for the staff and two duplex staff houses. They still need money to build new classrooms, dormitories and teachers houses in order to suit the standard of a level 7 High School with 1000 students.

Apul said Huon Gulf MP, Ross Seymour made commitments to maintain the run down school facility and to rebuild the two dormitories that were burnt down.

Seymour also pledged support to pay for the students’ parental component fees.

Meanwhile, the School’s Principal, Mr Apul with the support of his Deputy, Joseph Kupesan called on the District, Morobe Provincial Government, parents and the Education Division to support the school with financial support in order to build more facilities so they can reach their aim in getting a secondary school status by 2024.