PNG election a major disruption to school in the Highlands

Transcript

BEULAH TAITA - The election thing was going on very heavily in our district here where our school is located because the prime minister of Papua New Guinea is from this place here, so we are very much affected by that election period. We are already up to week 3 now and the first week and the second week was very much affected that we could not have our classes and it is still ongoing up to this week, on the third week of our schooling, we are still affected and the classes have not yet started.

MELVIN LEVONGO - Why do you think students haven't turned up for classes?

BT - The students not attending the school is basically because supporting our candidates has taken too personal that there was a very big fight going on in the two communities. The fighting is taking place in our town area in Pangia where our school is located, so we are badly affected by that and the children are in fear that they cannot travel to school in freedom. They don't have the freedom to come to school, so the parents are keeping them back because of this situation.

ML - You guys are behind by two weeks, so what sort of message would you take to speed up so that academically the students are coping up with the rest of the nation?

BT - As myself as the head administrator of the school, I have to really have my teachers to put more effort to the programmes, the lessons and the activities that they have missed out in these weeks. They really have to put in the effort and try to cover up those topics and things at their class level.

ML - In your own opinion, what do you think about the previous government's free education policy?

BT - The free education thing is very good. It's really helping disadvantage parents that would not be able to pay the school fees. It is really a help to the parents, so it is like 90 per cent of big help.