Huon Gulf District has opened a newly established high school funded through the Infrastructure Development Grant (IDG), marking a major step forward in expanding access to secondary education for remote communities in Lower Watut.
The school, Tsilistili Kundut High School, is located at Tsilitsili in the Wampar Local Level Government (LLG) area of Huon Gulf District of Morobe Province, and was officially opened on Friday 16th January.
The project was made possible under an agreement signed with the late former Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, with funding drawn from IDG allocations for communities affected by the proposed Wafi-Golpu mining.
Tsilistili Kundut High School will admit its first cohort of students in the 2026 academic year and will operate as a boarding institution, providing education opportunities for students from river-based and hard-to-reach communities
The opening ceremony was officiated by Huon Gulf District Member of Parliament (MP) Jason Peter, together with Morobe Provincial Education Senior Inspector Gibson Dom, who commissioned the facilities and described the school as a long-term investment in education for impacted communities.
The school comprises six double classrooms, two student dormitories, and four teachers’ houses.
Ablution blocks and a school mess building have also been constructed to support student welfare and daily school operations.
Construction was carried out by Mairobs Building and Construction Limited, led by its Managing Director Mr. Robert Nohorou. Mr. Nohorou confirmed that the total project cost was K3.5 million, noting that a large portion of the funding was spent on logistics and transportation due to the absence of road access.
He said all materials and equipment had to be transported by dugout motor canoes.
Student intake will be limited to seven designated primary schools within the Lower Watut area, with all selected students progressing into Grade 9 as pioneer students, regardless of examination results, to ensure inclusivity during the school’s establishment phase.
Community leaders, parents, and stakeholders welcomed the opening, describing the school as a meaningful outcome of development agreements that will deliver long-term benefits for Lower Watut communities.
Officials from the Morobe Provincial Education Office, along with local business representatives Yawing Babul of Huon Technology and Mr. Ross Seymour of Coastal Freighters Limited also attended the ceremony.
Enrolment preparations are now underway ahead of the school’s official commencement in 2026.
