A CHIEF from Falau community in Malaita says the statement made by the Governor-General (GG) describing schools as poultry houses perfectly fits the status of boarding schools in the province.
Jersey Bobby said most boarding schools in Malaita have poor and over-crowded dormitories, which are not conducive and do not speak well of schools as learning institutions.
“I’ve visited many boarding schools in Malaita and I can confirm that their dormitories are like poultry houses which I think are not conducive for learning environment standards,” Chief Bobby said.
Apart from the poor dormitories status, it is obvious that most schools enrolled more students compared to the actual capacity that the school dormitories can accommodate, he added.
“I also learn that schools that enrolled beyond their capacity are doing it for the purpose to get more funding from the Ministry,” he claimed.
Chief Bobby believes that the unconducive environment in boarding schools in Malaita has contributed in one way or the other towards the downfall of students’ learning.
With that, he thanked the GG for raising a very important point for the responsible ministry and education authorities to take note of.
Bobby is calling on the Malaita Education Authority to do more to ensure boarding schools in the province live up to standard requirements and ensure the school grants and funding are utilized to improve their poultry like dormitories.
Sir David Vunagi in his Queen’s Birthday address on Friday likened the current conditions of many schools in the country as poultry due to overcrowding in classrooms and dormitories.
Sir Vunagi is a former school teacher and principal.
By WILSON SAENI
in Auki
