IN advancing quality education and providing standard classrooms for students in the country, the governments of Australia and New Zealand handed over a brand-new double storey classroom building for Illia Community High School on the eastern outskirts of Honiara yesterday.
The classroom building contains six classrooms – three upstairs and three downstairs.
Illia School Principal Patrick Ngidua, during the handing over ceremony, acknowledged Australia and New Zealand for the free gift of classroom building to the community school.
Illia School is operated by the Honiara City Council.
“I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Australia and New Zealand Governments for their generous support in funding this project for our school.
“I can truly say here that the children and students of this school can’t thank the governments and people of Australia and NZ enough for this milestone development in education and not forgetting to mention the numerous other major projects in the country that you have injected funds into,” he said.
Mr Ngidua said Illia students, parents, guardians and the community have promised to treasure and look after the school building project which costed a huge sum of money from the two traditional donors.
He also acknowledged the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) for identifying Illia School as the project recipient.
Mr Ngidua also acknowledged other stakeholders, including the project’s building contractor for their significant contributions towards its accomplishment. Djs Construction was contracted for the implementation of the project.
Mr Ngidua added that this classroom building will definitely help solve the dire need for effective teaching and learning at Illia Community High School.
MEHRD Deputy Secretary- Corporate Services, Coldrine Kolae said this handing over ceremony manifested the Australia and NZ governments as major donor partners of the Solomon Islands Government in the education sector.
“…what we witnessed today is one of the success stories of this partnership,” he added.
Out of 1,464 schools in the country, Illia CHS was fortunate to be identified and selected by MEHRD to be the project recipient of the school building project.
The project is funded through the Education Sector Support Program (ESSP).
Mr Kolae said ESSP has funded a total of 48 projects since its inception.
ESSP has funded the rehabilitation of classrooms, dormitories, ablution blocks, science laboratories in various schools at the cost of $129 million.
“This amount is the support given towards our education sector which includes professional development, curriculum and ongoing support towards our education Assessment, inspectorate and COVID-19
Mr Kolae urged Illia CHS and HCC as the Education provider as well as the Illia community and surrounding communities to look after and utilize the classroom well to provide quality education.
The Australia High Commissioner to Solomon Islands His Excellency Rod Hilton and Deputy High Commission of NZ Her Excellency Rebecca Williams have expressed their delight to hand over the classroom building.
They assured those who attended the handing over ceremony that their governments’ are committed to supporting the education sector and other sectors in the country.
The Australia and New Zealand governments are the main contributors to the education sector in Solomon Islands through the building of school infrastructures, supporting of teaching and learning material as well as the provision of technical assistance.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
