Affected schools located within the vicinity of Backroad area to Bumayong in Lae will resume classes next Monday.
Morobe provincial education adviser Keith Tangui said in an interview that the provincial education board has decided to suspend those schools for an indefinite period due to ethnic clashes occurring and recurring in those areas since last month.
He said the safety of the teachers and the students is paramount so the decision was made, but students’ learning has been greatly affected and with the parents’ concerns for their children’s education, classes will start.
Mr Tangui said parents must understand that their children can get injured, killed or hospitalised if fighting occurs and attacks happen anytime as they are making their way to school and back home.
Education division and provincial education board (PEB) must not be blamed and I want to appeal to the parents to come to a consensus that fighting has stopped and it’s safe for their children to attend classes.
Schools that are not in the hotspot of the clash were allowed to resume classes in term 3 but others that are considered to be in the hotspot area are still suspended.
Mr Tangui
Mr Tangui said national examinations are coming up so classes will resume. He said hopefully the peace and restoration committee negotiating the peace agreement between the Sepik and Morobe people of Backroad is successful because the fighting is taking too long.
It depends on the attendance of the students and if parents wish to hold back their children, we cannot force them. But those that want to attend classes, classes will resume so their parents must accompany them, especially the little ones, to get them to school and go back.
Tangui
Schools that were affected include Bumayong Lutheran Secondary, Malahang Technical Secondary, Lanakapi Primary, Tent City Primary, Lae Adventist Primary, St Patrick Primary, Omega Primary, Mary Queen of Peace Primary, Taraka Primary, Amba Demonstration Primary and all their feeder elementary schools.