By MAL TAIME
MINJ Secondary School in the Jiwaka Province has not receive the K500,000 elevation grant it is entitled to after being upgraded to secondary status.
The school authorities and board members making the claim say the Western Highlands Provincial Government is supposed to administer the grant, but has failed to do so, and much needed improvements cannot be made.
One board member Wilfred Kulno, said it was sad for the school to be neglected, especially as the school board is striving so hard to improve standards for students.
Mr Kulno is also the secretary of Jiwaka Waldam Association, a human rights advocate and an anti-corruption campaigner.
He said before the school was elevated to secondary status, Jiwaka Province was in its transitional period where responsibility was being handed between Western Highlands and Jiwaka Provincial Governments.
He called on both provincial governments to take ownership of the situation and contribute the money as promised, adding that if both provincial governments simply facilitate the processing of this grant, situation is would be a big blow out for the community as Minj is the only government run secondary school in Jiwaka Province.
The principal of the school Paul Bangie said the Prime Minister had made a commitment of K3million to the province on Jiwaka’s establishment day last year. Mr Bangie said they hoped Peter O’Neill would fulfill the commitment he made on May 17 2012, when he appeared before a packed crowd and pledged the money.
Mr O’Neill is scheduled to visit Jiwaka Province soon to officially open the treasury office.
Mr Bangie explained the administration and board of governors were making a special appeal to the office of the Prime Minister and to the National Education Department to intervene and take action.
Recently the Jiwaka Provincial Government allocated K270,000 for the school to complete a boys dormitory.
The school also spent K200,000 on upgrading the computer lab, making the subject compulsory for students. Mr Bangie said Minj secondary would be the first school to be elevated to level 10 and wanted them to create more teaching positions to cater for the resilting incresas in number of students it would enrol.
MINJ Secondary School in the Jiwaka Province has not receive the K500,000 elevation grant it is entitled to after being upgraded to secondary status.
The school authorities and board members making the claim say the Western Highlands Provincial Government is supposed to administer the grant, but has failed to do so, and much needed improvements cannot be made.
One board member Wilfred Kulno, said it was sad for the school to be neglected, especially as the school board is striving so hard to improve standards for students.
Mr Kulno is also the secretary of Jiwaka Waldam Association, a human rights advocate and an anti-corruption campaigner.
He said before the school was elevated to secondary status, Jiwaka Province was in its transitional period where responsibility was being handed between Western Highlands and Jiwaka Provincial Governments.
He called on both provincial governments to take ownership of the situation and contribute the money as promised, adding that if both provincial governments simply facilitate the processing of this grant, situation is would be a big blow out for the community as Minj is the only government run secondary school in Jiwaka Province.
The principal of the school Paul Bangie said the Prime Minister had made a commitment of K3million to the province on Jiwaka’s establishment day last year. Mr Bangie said they hoped Peter O’Neill would fulfill the commitment he made on May 17 2012, when he appeared before a packed crowd and pledged the money.
Mr O’Neill is scheduled to visit Jiwaka Province soon to officially open the treasury office.
Mr Bangie explained the administration and board of governors were making a special appeal to the office of the Prime Minister and to the National Education Department to intervene and take action.
Recently the Jiwaka Provincial Government allocated K270,000 for the school to complete a boys dormitory.
The school also spent K200,000 on upgrading the computer lab, making the subject compulsory for students. Mr Bangie said Minj secondary would be the first school to be elevated to level 10 and wanted them to create more teaching positions to cater for the resilting incresas in number of students it would enrol.
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