How grade 8 leavers struggle in life is all packed in a story of its own for every individual grade 8 school leaver.
The grade 8 students who could not continue to high schools 20 years ago because of limited spaces have a lot to tell today’s grade 8 school leavers.
Leo Gawi, a pastor with the South Sea Evangelical Church in Madang, went from crime to music before he became a pastor.
After doing grade 8 in 1986 at Holy Spirit Primary School, Mr Gawi was given a second chance to continue to grade 9 in Jomba Correspondence School but he did not make use of that second chance.
He said he made close friends with boys from the nearby Yabob village and they engaged in petty crimes, especially robberies, and he left school.
By the time Mr Gawi realised the chance he had to do grade 9 was very important, it was too late because time had passed and he already got lost in the world of crime.
One of the memories that is still a sore in his heart is that he never got to spend the last few minutes beside his father before his father died because he went into hiding from police somewhere in Bogia for armed robbery.
The time I missed sitting beside my father’s sick bed before the Lord took him was the regretful thing that I carry with me all this time.
Mr Gawi.
He said in his days back in the 1980s, there were not so much chances to continue education because there were not many schools and short courses like the ones they have today.
Mr Gawi said from the lessons he learnt from his young days, he now instills discipline and encourage his seven children to do better in school and in life.
Today, three of Mr Gawi’s children are working and three are still in school.
Life after dropping out in grade 8 is very dangerous, so our government must take serious steps in building more high schools.
This is our children continue without hiccups on the way.
Mr Gawi.