The Headmaster of Good Shepherd Primary School in Madang Province confirmed that the building housing the Junior and Senior Science Laboratories for the school was destroyed by fire on the morning of Friday 17th May.
Mr. Ben Tamilong stated that the cause of the fire remains unknown.
The incident has been reported to the relevant authorities, including the Police Criminal Investigation Division (CDI) at the Provincial Police Command (PPC). A team from the CID visited the site last Friday and will continue their investigations.
The building included both the Junior and Senior Science Laboratories, serving students in grades 9 and 10, and grades 11 and 12, respectively. The fire has impacted 800 students who used these facilities but despite this setback, Tamilong assured that classes will continue as scheduled and learning will not be disrupted.
The destroyed building, constructed between 1994 and 1995, contained laboratory equipment, textbooks, old exam papers, and other materials, with an estimated value close to one million Kina.
Tamilong mentioned that approximately one million Kina would be needed to rebuild and restock both laboratories.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Secondary School, a level four school located a 15-minute drive from Madang town along the north coast road, receives operational funds from the education department. The school will now seek additional support and assistance from stakeholders to construct a new building and replace the lost materials.