CLASSES MIGHT BE DELAYED FOR LUSALEMBA SECONDARY SCHOOL

Lusalemba Secondary School in Santa Cruz might not begin classes next week because of a lack of essential school buildings.

Lusalemba is the most senior school in Temotu Province that offers Form Six and the school anticipates enrolling more than 300 students this year.

The school lost classroom buildings and staff houses during the earthquake that hit Santa Cruz in 2013.

Careers Master Francis Badenogo told SIBC News the school has a project to build nine new buildings under the tsunami rehabilitation funds but are yet to receive the assistance.

“The project should comprise about nine buildings, some of which are classrooms, dormitories while some are staff houses which we are looking forward to them. Now classes should resume next week but the problem is that there are no classes. If the project is completed in time then we should have classes. The only classroom building we used to have was destroyed by the recent earthquake, so we are hoping that the project be completed just in time when we start our academic year.”

Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Asset Management within the Education Ministry has explained there was a delay in delivering the assistance because of processing matters.

Henson Makoani told SIBC News his Division received the ‘no-objection’ letter from DFAT yesterday and the issue is now resolved.

He also reassured Lusalemba Secondary School and other project recipient schools in Santa Cruz that the Ministry is committed to rehabilitating the schools despite this long delay.

“I would like to assure you that the Ministry of Education is still committed to complete the project and I think we are ready to implement the project, so I think as of next week we will contact the relevant authorities in Temotu Province to know when project the construction will start as by that time the contract should be finalised. So that’s what I want to assure you of, that we are coming in a month’s time.”