By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
THE people of Wingei in the East Sepik Province witnessed a historic event yesterday when their very own High School was officially opened by the Member for Yangoru Saussia Open Richard Maru.
For years, most students with their parents were turned away from the nearby high schools due to lack of spaces and those students who got lucky to be accepted walked kilometers each day to get to school.
All these struggles came to an end when Wingei High School was established in 2019 and opened its doors for first enrollment of grade 9s in 2020.
“You have cried for over 45 years for a school.
“You were like nomads looking for education for your children for a very long time.
“Today you have a reason to celebrate,” said Maru.
The people of Wingei showed how desperately they needed a school by giving a land free to the state to build the school.
“In my 10 years as a political leader, this is the only place that has never asked the state to buy the land,” said Maru.
“For other places I went, they told me to buy land.
“Wingei people, you have set a record for the Yangoru-Saussia District.
“Everybody else ask for money; you did not.
“You are the example to all our communities in the district,” he said.
Maru acknowledged the people for the support they showed to have the school established.
“When I said I would bring a school here, you quickly put up camps here to cut the grass and to clear the land for the school to be established.
“I have never seen a community move like that in my 10 years of political life.
“You must be highly commended for your hunger and effort to have your school,” said Maru.
“After all our combined effort, we have achieved this; it has been a great team work and I want to commend everyone involved.
“God must be praised and people must be acknowledged for this change,” he said.
The first phase of the establishment of Wingei High School had been completed with eight staff houses and eight classrooms built, and electricity supply being put through to the school.
“I was waiting for these (teacher’s houses and classrooms to be completed and electricity supply to be put through) before we could celebrate the first phase and the opening of the school,” said Maru.
“The District Development Authority (DDA) has spent K5 million to bring this school this far.
“It is a very significant investment,” he said.
The students also proved how much they needed a school when the pioneer grade 10 students topped the district in the National Examinations by scoring Minimum Rating Index (MRI) of 68%.
They also came fourth place in the province.
The school board requested for several resources like the boarding facilities, computer and science labs, and more classrooms.
In respond to that, Maru said:
“What you have now is just phase one; you are not there yet.
“The next phase (which covers what the school requested) will cost over K5 million.
“With the elections some weeks away, politics will decide your future: the member after 2022 will decided the future.”
Maru said the future of Wingei High School and their dream to be a Secondary School by 2024 would depend on politics (who becomes the next member after the elections), the school’s academic performance (MRI of 70% and above) and the continuing corporation from the community.
Wingei High School now has grades 7 to 10 with over 300 students and about 60 students who are studying under Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE).
It has about seven feeder primary schools.
With most of the people in Wingei being vanilla farmers and traders, Maru pointed out to them during the opening that education is the real gold mine, not vanilla.
“You are Vanilla people.
“You are Kings of Vanilla when the price is good, when the price is bad you have nothing, just traders.
“The real gold mine is education.
“Whether price is up or down your children that you invest in will still be there to look after you.
“This (investing in your children’s education) is your future; the human resource is the most important resource in any country, any province and any district,” Maru said.
“You have made a good investment together with the district and the education division; we’ve made a very good investment,” he said.
Marum presented a cheque of K192, 000 to Wingei High School for a school truck.
“This is my appreciation for your academic performance last year and also as a gift for you on your special day (official opening).
“Take this (cheque) to Ela Motors, get a school truck, proudly put on the name ‘Wingei High School’ on it and bring it to your school,” he said.
