Below we have tertiary students boycott school because there is great need for an upgrade in learning facilities and other essentials such as the internet for research and libraries and laboratories for practical work. In many schools (including, Primary and secondary) there is great need for facility upgrade and availability for use. There is also greater need for dormitory and ancillary facility upgrades such as the Mess and Ablution blocks, which if not maintained can cause serious health problems.

Our elected MP's have been visiting these schools, driving past and giving wonderfully written speeches, but none of them have children attending these institutions or have experienced first hand the struggles of prioritizing learning in conditions that aren't conducive to accommodate for an increase in academic standards. Why do these students who aspire to contribute to nation building have to suffer because of poor infrastructure? K780m was stolen by fifty + people and no one has been prosecuted and yet with that money 3, 700 new double story classrooms, a library, science lab, research center, messing facilities, ablution blocks, new dormitories and more could have been built with it! It was selfishly eaten up through corruption and now our future leaders suffer to achieve greatness.

We cannot continue to push our people for greatness if we don't guide and provide them with the tools they need to move forward. How much longer should we boycott our right to education because a few corrupt elites feed their egocentric selves.

Prosecute those Implicated! Recover the Monies! Upgrade our facilities for us to learn!

Students stand firm on classes boycott

Source: The National

Nawaeb Gisuwat Siniwin and Kabwum MP Bob Dadae have met with students of the National Polytechnic Institute in Lae to try to end their boycott of classes.

The two MPs were told by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to represent the Government.

They were accompanied by the People's National Congress Party acting prsident Gareth Kissing last Thursday.

The leaders assured the students that their concerns of poor infrastructure, facilities and dropping academic standards at the institute would be addressed by the Government.

Siniwin, a former high school principle in Morobe, urged the 1200-strong student body to prioritise their education and leave the issues to the administration and the Government to address.

Dadae said the Government would look into thier griviences, Student Representative Council preseident, Gary Gumembi, said the administration had failed the students for ears.

He said the students maintained thier protest and would not resume classes untill the Government seriously addressed the issues.

"We wll not go back to class because the implementers who were supposed to make things happen did not do thier part. We need to do the practical, we need to do research, we need to have internet," he said.