Tonpi challenges school administrations, teachers and parents to step up
Mendi Munihu MP and Vice Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Raphael Tonpi, issued strong challenge to school administrators, teachers, and parents to step up on their performance, stressing that the future prosperity of the district centers on a collective commitment to quality education.
He emphasized the link between effective school performance and strong leadership, urging head teachers and principals to act with diligence and good faith.
"How a school performs depends very much on the administration," MP Tonpi said.
"Head teachers must create a clear vision and mission that motivates teachers and students and ensure that resources are used efficiently to enhance learning."
He also called on School Boards of Management [BoM] to take full control, actively supporting their teaching staff to achieve the best educational outcomes.
A key part of this is fostering strong relationships with parents and local communities to secure vital support and resources for the schools.
MP Tonpi said many local teachers have occupied teaching positions in the district.
He said the increase in local teachers comes with an added responsibility, urging them to be deeply committed to the success of students who are members of their own community and relatives.
"Parents have a huge responsibility. When the government pays school fees, it does not mean you depend entirely on the government, doing nothing and being involved in gambling or following people around town wasting the day without achieving anything."
“You have to put your children in a good house so that they do studies without disturbances, you have to buy them uniforms, books and others, and for those students studying at secondary and tertiary institutions, parents must make sure they are equipped with laptops to do their studies,” he stated.
He also told parents to be proactive by working on the land to earn money or involve in SME activities to support their children's education.
He urged his people to considerably reduce the resources spent on what he termed "unnecessary community obligations," such as large compensation payments, funeral services, or traditional exchanges like moka.
"Children are a blessing from God, and they should be well taken care of," he said, demanding that the future of their children must become the community’s primary priority.
MP Tonpi said that in the modern world, development is driven by education.
He painted a picture of a future where an educated Mendi Munihu district would experience a reduction in law-and-order issues and a significant increase in cash flow and economic opportunity.