The Wapenamanda International Christian School (WICS) in Enga Province closed its academic year with an impressive graduation on Friday, December 8th.
The principal of the school, Betty Pako Leo, said this year is a special graduation because it has been a tough year with the tribal fights going on in the district and throughout the province. The school successfully graduated nine Grade Eight students this year despite the tribal fighting that lasted for months, resulting in the burning of hundreds of houses and leaving tens of thousands as refugees in the Wapenamanda District. Even students from the affected areas managed to graduate this year.
The continuous unrest drove the school to work harder to teach and shape the future generation to be agents of change.
“A generation can make a difference, if we mould and shape them properly.”
Chairman of the Enga Foursquare Gospel Education Agency, Nathanial Tipitap, in his address, challenged the parents that Enga will not change if they do not teach their children to put God first, and for children to know who they are and where they come from.
“God said He is the beginning and the End, this means something, that the start is very important in everything to bring out the best result, in this regard the basics in quality education to bring out the best in citizens.”
The Chairman said the school’s integrated curriculum of the American, Australian and PNG education system, which was set up by the missionaries from these countries, is providing quality and affordable education for the children of Enga Province.
Tipitap also announced new plans for the schools and one of them is to introduce computer coding classes starting next year.
“Software engineers that develop software like Facebook and Google; it is a different career path, just like being a teacher, doctor, police, army.”
The school will have in its premises a Starlink Satellite Internet to provide fast and unlimited internet access for the kids to access their e-library and computer classes.
A representative from the Enga Innovative University, Early Childhood Faculty, confirmed the school was already offering quality basic education starting from pre-kindergarten 1, kinder 2 and preparatory (3-5 years old). It has already been selected as one of the model schools in the province to roll out its programs under Standard Based Education.
Most schools in Enga were not able to host graduations due to the high rate of violence and killings in the province.