Transgogol Secondary School in Madang is struggling to meet the needs of its growing student population. Principal Ivan Nivirity said the school is short on classrooms, dormitories, power, and water. “The main generator broke down in 2023. We now rely on a small 5KVA generator for the office and solar power for the rest of the school,” he said. Water has been a long-standing problem. The school’s ablution block was condemned from the start. To cope, the science lab has been turned into a boys’ dormitory, while the computer lab is now a classroom. The school has about 1,000 students and 26 teachers. With limited classrooms, the dining hall and a four-in-one building are also used for classes. The school was suspended in late 2022 and did not receive Tuition Fee Free (TFF) funding in 2023. “I started this year with nothing as the new principal,” Nivirity said. He added that the 2025 TFF funds have arrived but are only enough for teaching, learning, and basic operations. More support is needed to improve facilities. The country is marking 50 years of being independent but still schools in some of the remote parts of the country continue to face big challenges affecting educating the next generation of Papua New Guineans.