By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
THE vision of Yangoru Saussia district is to be number one in education in East Sepik Province, says the Yangoru Saussia Open Member Richard Maru.
Maru said the district will invest ‘big time’ in education.
“We will do everything to maintain our space as the number one district in human resource in the province,” he said.
Maru said the district’s vision for future is to have Yangoru Secondary School to be the National High School.
“We want to be the first rural district in Papua New Guinea to trial the model that God gave me the vision to start when I was the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, and that is to establish school of excellence in the districts,” said Maru.
“In future, Yangoru Secondary School will not offer grades 9 and 10; it will be the National High School for the district where the cream of Yangoru Saussia will be sent to.
“There will be no day students, all boarding.
“We have to make sure they have the world class facilities and top brains to stay there,” he said.
“For its phase two, we would build a School of Humanities after the elections.
“Currently we have about 60 science students there.
“The plan is to put 120 students in the School of Humanities so Yangoru National Highs School can produce 120 grade 12 students each year,” he added.
Maru said Yangoru Secondary School sent 21 students directly to universities last year for the first time in the district’s history.
“This affirms and confirms that there is merit in the district’s education system.
“So, our intention is to extend that school (Yangoru Secondary); that’s the plan,” he said.
Maru said he would be working with the education division in the province to look into upgrading the schools in the district and to establish one more junior high school.
“By the time we open the eighth high school, we would have over 1000 grade 12 students throughout the district.
“After they complete grade 12, not many will be accepted into colleges and universities.
“What will they do? Where will they go? What is the pathway for them? Most of them will return to the villages,” said Maru.
“While we are focusing on secondary education and it is important, we must also look at pathway beyond grade 12; I have a desire to build a technical college.
“I want to see a technical college built for Yangoru Saussia District after the elections,” he said.
Maru said the district would build its own technical college and not wait for the province to build one.
“We can’t wait for the province; we must rise up and do it ourself.
“The Logic is simple.
“If I have 1000 students completing grade 12s and send 200 to universities and colleges.
“What will I do with the 800?
“That is a big number,” said Maru.
“While the province would want to build one technical college for the province, it would not cater for all students because each district will have over 800 grade 12 leavers looking for schools.
“So, each district must invest in a technical college; every district must start dreaming and talking about that now,” he said.
Maru said the foundations for education in the district had been laid in the last ten years and now they are to build up from there by having the schools to perform well to increase the output.
“Last year, the district sent about 25 students to the universities; that’s not good enough.
“From the grade 10 results (of last year), we are already number one but I am still not happy; I want everybody to go beyond the Minimum Rating Index (MRI) of 70%,” said Maru.
“We are number one in the province but compared to national standards, we still have not reached the level of top schools in the country; we have a long way to go.
“We are not delivering 80 students to the universities like Port Moresby National High School; no school in the province is able to do that but it can be done and Yangoru Saussia must do it,” he said.
Maru said Enga dominates the country in all workforces and positions because of leadership and investment in education by Sir Peter Ipatas for the last 30 years.
“We haven’t had leaders like that all these years and we are let down with investment in education.
“We are just starting now (to invest in education) and good results are being seen but we need to do better than what we are doing today,” he said.
