TETOLI community high and primary school on Duff island in Temotu Province is calling on Solomon Island Government(SIG)and aid donors to help improve their school infrastructure on the Island.
The school was badly affected by the recent cyclone Pam which hit the island early this year. Pam pulled down some of the classrooms and staff houses.
Tetoli is a provincial owned school which operates classes from early childhood education (ECE) to class 6 and the forms one to three for the high school level.
A visit by the Solomon Star to the school fortnight ago during a tour by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Temotu VATUD Constituency Freda Tuki Soriacomua saw the classrooms, school library and staff houses in a deteriorating state which needs immediate improvement.
The walls and windows of the classrooms are old and broken. Most classrooms are without proper desks, chairs and table. Desks are also broken.
And this makes it hard for students to do their study in a comfortable manner, it was highlighted.
Students attending the school are also facing sanitation problem during class hours since the school did not have proper toilets and drinking water tanks.
Provincial Member for Duff island, Stanley Tehi, who is former primary teacher said, that Tetoli school really needs help from government and donor partners to improve the school facility and sanitation.
“For so long we have never received help from the government and donors to upgrade the school infrastructure and sanitation, library, staff house and classrooms.
“At the moment we have the form three students still using an old building which is not good for students to learn,” Mr Tehi said.
He said, the Rural Development Program (RDP) has done some help for the school but its not enough to fully address the situation at the school.
“The school needs proper classroom, new library and new staff houses.”
He said, the provincial government did not have the capacity to build school infrastructure since money the province receives from national government is not enough.
Most of the buildings are also made of sago palm leaves which means they school needs more permanent buildings.
“As you can saw here we use sago palm leaves for our early children hood classrooms and library. This is sad because it paints a bad picture about our government which claims it would seriously supports the rural people.”
He said, its time the school gets some form of recognition to help address the education challenges on the island.
Member of Parliament for Temotu VATUD Freda Tuki Soriacomua who was not able to visit the school due to other commitments with the community leaders assured the community that she would try her best to help the school.
“Education is my priority therefore since the school is in urgent need of help my constituency will do its best to help upgrade the school with whatever help we could do for the school.”
She urged the school administration to submit a formal request so that her office can look into what areas to help.
By DENVER NEWTER
