Annaberg High School in the Middle Ramu District, Madang Province, is a school that continues to lag behind each academic year.
The school lacks facilities from infrastructure to teaching and learning materials. There are 160 eager students ready to learn with the help of six dedicated teachers.
Annaberg High School came out from the age-old Annaberg Primary School, a Catholic Agency school that educated hundreds of students from this remote area in Madang since independence.
However, due to travel distance over difficult and treacherous terrain, student intake has been irregular. Infrastructure is limited to bush material buildings including teachers’ houses.
There is nothing else to make it a viable high school facility. Newly appointed Principal Rachel Williams and her husband Rodney arrived to nothing much at Annaberg.
After making a very difficult two-day journey from Madang to Annaberg Mission Station, the Williams’s returned to Madang to source funding support for appropriate infrastructure.
Earlier this week they met Governor for Madang, Ramsey Pariwa and presented a proposal for infrastructure. However, a basic commitment from the local MP for Middle Ramu is required before the Governor can counter fund.
The school has 105 Grade 9 and 45 Grade 10 students in class currently. There are 15 feeder schools but the remoteness makes it difficult to get a steady number each year.
Mrs Williams said the local member has indicated to fund a double classroom and a science laboratory. Though it has been difficult, principal Williams, her husband and six other teachers are braving the challenging circumstances to be at Annaberg High, teaching the eager young learners.