A deaf student was the surprise among 316 Grade 12 students sitting for their national examination at Kerowagi Secondary School in Chimbu province yesterday.
Junior Peter, also an orphan, hails from the Pagau tribe in Kerowagi district.
He attended mainstream schools to come this far despite his disability.
Peter’s parents divorced when he was at Nombun Elementary School where he was given pecial attention and raised by the teachers of the Chimbu inclusive education resource centre (previously special education school).
Life didn’t get better for young Peter as in 2010, his mother married another man and went to live in Port Moresby while his father also got married to another woman.
He basically had to fend for himself without family.
With the love and support from his elementary teacher and the teacher in charge he completed his grade 3 at Kimak Lutheran primary school.
From there the Chimbu inclusive education resource centre took care of him and trained him with the inclusive education programs.
Centre coordinator Rose Aglua informed his biological parents that Peter was attending a mainstream school and would like their support as well.
However, they did not bother about the boy who went onto to successfully complete grade 8 and was selected to Kerowagi secondary school after passing his grade 8 national examination.
Peter is a strong Sabbath keeper and scored credits and distinction in his grade 10 national examination.
Ms Aglua commended him for his sacrifice because he was able to come through the normal mainstream education with the support from the inclusive education resource centre, who helped raise Peter.
Ms Aglua said Kerowagi secondary school did not want to originally enroll him because of his disability as they did not have a language sign teacher, but later agreed and allowed him to register as a boarding student and has since become a success story that the school is now proud of.
Peter’s success is now a motivation for other disabled students to be more active in gaining education.
His deaf educator interprets with him through sign language and this was applied during his exams from primary to secondary school.
Peter said he is now interested in joining the police force but his teachers strongly urged him to apply to the University of Goroka and Enga Teachers College.
Whatever the case, there is no barrier too high for Peter to negotiate.