Twenty-one (21) schools, excluding elementary schools, in Southern Highlands affected by violence during the 2022 General Election have been closed and students will repeat next year, according to an official circular.
Classes were suspended from Monday, the provincial education board circular said.
The schools are Mendi Day and Nipa Secondary, Karinz High and Uma Junior High schools, Mendi Technical Vocational Education Training Centre and 16 primary schools in the Nipa-Kutubu and Mendi-Munihu electorates and within the Mendi township.
The other elementary schools are in the Nipa Basin local level government and Mendi township.
Eight Morobe schools have also suspended classes indefinitely due to fighting in the Backroad area.
Southern Highlands education adviser Mark Push said the decision was reached after considering reports from the head teachers of the affected schools, respective district education advisers, inspectors and an independent assessment from the highlands regional director and school inspection division.
He said school administrations must take appropriate action to protect school properties and plan accordingly to mitigate effects to ensure schools resume successfully next year.
He said many teachers and students were directly affected by the violence, some were victims while others were forced to defend their lives and properties.
Push said students and classmates were suddenly drawn apart and forced to take sides, perhaps taking the frontlines and finding themselves on opposite sides.
He said many schools stopped and failed to resume teaching in term three, extending to week nine and now leading to the end of term three.
He said these schools lost more than a whole term and it was not possible to recoup lost teaching time in term four when national examinations began.
Grade 10 exams are on Oct 10, followed by Grade 12 on Oct 17 and Grade Eight on Oct 23.
Besides, resuming classes may trigger fighting at the school by bringing foes together.
This situation must be avoided by all means and suspending teaching for the remaining weeks of this year’s academic is the sensible thing to do.
Mark Push, Southern Highlands education advisor