Parents protest as South Fly education policy collapses

Frustrated parents of Grade 9 students at Karakara Junior Day High School took to the streets yesterday, blaming the government of abandoning their children after a breakdown in funding left the school without classrooms or teachers for the new academic year.

The protest shows a disastrous rollout of the National Education Department’s "1-6-6" policy in the province. While the policy mandates a shift in school structures, parents say the sub-national management team failed to build a single desk or train a single teacher to accommodate the new grade levels.

At the heart of the crisis is a financial tug-of-war between the South Fly District Development Authority [DDA] and the Fly River Provincial Government.

According to parents’ spokesperson Jerard Gumoi, a contractor hired to build the necessary classrooms has walked off the job.

"The contractor refused to build because they only received half-payment," Gumoi said. "One government arm has paid their share, but the other has not. Our children are being held hostage by a budget dispute."

Frustration boiled over as parents marched from the school gates to the Education Department and then to the Provincial Government office, only to find the corridors empty. With no officials willing to face the crowd, the parents took their message to the streets of Daru, drafting an eight-point petition.

The petition, which demands immediate infrastructure funding and staff placement, is set to be hand-delivered to the South Fly MP Sekie Asiga and the Provincial Administrator.

The standoff enters a critical phase today as parents gather at the school to hear if the Education Division has any contingency plan for the students.

"If we don't get a clear answer today, we are marching to Iaru House," the parents said.

They intend to interrupt the Provincial Executive Council [PEC] meeting to ensure government officials cannot ignore the crisis any longer.

Efforts to reach the Education Division and Provincial Administration for comments yesterday were unsuccessful, as officials remained silent while parents marched outside their doors.