The Busu Secondary School in Morobe province, facing overcrowding at the onset of the new school year, is urgently appealing for financial assistance totaling between K50, 000 to K100, 000 to construct additional classrooms.
The school principal, Mr. George Noble, has emphasized the necessity of building a new classroom to accommodate the increased number of year 9 and 10 students.
Mr. Noble has directed his appeal to Governor Luther Wenge and the Morobe Provincial Government, urging them to allocate funds for at least a double classroom.
He stressed the importance of proper infrastructure to complement the right to education for all students.
“We are the people on the ground, teachers, the school management, and everyone involved in the school. Despite the trust placed in us to manage the student numbers, we are faced with a situation beyond our control,” stated Noble.
The Education Division had requested the school’s capacity assessment, but despite providing accurate student numbers, the intake at Busu Secondary, much like Lae Secondary, Malahang, Bugandi, and other schools in the province, has exceeded manageable levels.
“This year marks the most challenging in terms of student enrollment for Busu Secondary.
The school is grappling with overcrowded classrooms, posing significant challenges for teaching staff and management,” Noble remarked.
As a model school for Morobe Province, Busu Secondary is highly sought after by parents and students alike, worsening the space constraints. Principal Noble highlighted that current classrooms can only accommodate 40-50 students, yet each grade 9 class is allocated 70 students.
Typically enrolling 350 students across seven classes for grades 9 and 10, this year, the number has surged to 516. Some students, including those who withdrew in the previous year (2023) due to genuine reasons, have been readmitted, bringing the total to 540-545 students.
“I am uncertain about the cause of this increase, but with the construction of a new classroom and adequate resources, we can ensure that all students are accommodated and cared for within the school,” added Noble.
With such large class sizes, individual interaction between teachers and students is compromised, potentially affecting the quality of education outcomes.
Therefore, the urgency for additional infrastructure and resources is paramount to maintain educational standards at Busu Secondary School.