Huonville Primary School

This was the sentiment expressed by the Parents and Teachers Association of the Huonville Primary School before they voted to terminate seven students, suspend two for the remainder of the academic year and place another two on school good behaviour bond.

Their decision follows the recent viral TikTok video made by some male students, in school uniform, who hurled profanities at their peers in Port Moresby.

Jacobs’ comments followed the viral TikTok video showing Huonville Primary School students in Lae using vulgar language to attack their peers in Port Moresby.

65-year-old Jacobs, who has retired in January this year after 44 years of teaching, said in the past, students were more focused.

“Discipline in the home was also good,” she said. “Parents knew how to discipline their children, and when the children came to school, they adhered to the disciplinary measures that their parents had taught them.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children – from 0 to 5 years – to the nearest clinic to protect them from vaccine preventable diseases.

Sr Patricia Mitiel-Gahanao looks after Family Health Services in the province, which immunisation also falls under.

She described this supplementary immunisation activity as a “preventative campaign” to boost the low coverage rate in the country.

“We want all our children, 0 months to 5 years, to receive two drops of polio vaccine, and 6 months to 5 years to receive the measles-rubella injection and Vitamin A capsules.

K500,000 was allocated by the provincial government in 2019 to construct a classroom for Huonville Primay School. To date, a classroom is yet to be built despite payment being made to the contractor.

Those responsible are yet to be held accountable for the misappropriation of the K500,000 that was made available by Governor Saonu to assist with Huonville’s classroom issues.

Instead of sending the money to the school’s account, the provincial works division held on to it and appointed a contractor of their choice.

The provincial works division awarded the half-a-million Kina project to a former politician’s son in 2019. Despite receiving the funding, iron rods sticking out of the ground are the only evidence of attempts at construction.

The opening of Huonville Primary School’s state-of-the-art, 8-in-1 double-storey building shone a harsh light on the construction site right next to the new infrastructure.

Fast forward to 2021 and 400 students will be learning in comfort in their new 8-in-1 double-storey building.

The K1.2 million project was funded through the Lae District Services Improvement Program, under the education component.

During the official opening of the 8-in-1 double-storey building on Friday, Lae MP John Rosso expressed his satisfaction in keeping a commitment made in 2018 when several classrooms were condemned, affecting almost 2,000 students.

In 2019, the Morobe Provincial Government paid K500,000 to the provincial works division to build new classrooms for the Huonville Primary School.

The provincial works division allegedly contracted a former politician’s son to carry out construction.

Two years later, the school is still following up on the promised classrooms.

Morobe provincial education program adviser, Keith Tangui, said the Provincial Education Board will initiate a probe into the missing funds.