Teachers bear brunt of Madang El Nino crisis
Teachers and their families in Madang are bearing the brunt of the worsening El Niño-induced dry spell as schools across the province struggle to operate without basic water supplies and an official provincial action plan.
The Teaching Service Commission [TSC] in Madang has raised serious concerns over the welfare of educators, stating that prolonged heat and severe water shortages in rural schools are threatening both lives and learning.
Acting Provincial TSC Advisor Kenneth Kalai expressed deep concern for non-local teachers posted to remote areas who are currently struggling for basic survival.
"I am particularly concerned about my teachers and their families. Most of them are not from the local communities," Kalai said.
"Some of the schools they are teaching in, especially those in the rural areas, do not have water catchments. They use creeks and rivers to source their supply of water, and some of these water sources have dried up."
Kalai revealed that teachers are being forced to walk long distances to cart water for basic household and daily needs. The hardship has been compounded by rising local tensions over dwindling natural reserves.
"My concern is about the welfare of my teachers and their families because some local people are now restricting them from accessing the water sources. They are even charging them fees," he said.
Despite a meeting held by the Madang Provincial Education Board last month to address the crisis, local school administrators report a lack of clear directives from provincial authorities.
"The heat is unbearable, and the least the province should do is come up with a disaster management plan," Kalai said. "The silence in the province is deafening. Responsible authorities are not talking about El Niño."
In the absence of a provincial relief framework, the provincial education director has directed head teachers across Madang to monitor conditions daily and submit weekly situational reports.
Taking early emergency measures, the Madang Inspectorate approved temporary schedule changes for schools in Zones 2 and 3, covering the Ambenob and Transgogol local level government [LLG] areas.
Under the directive:
- Upper primary classes have been shifted to half-day operations to avoid extreme afternoon heat.
- Lower primary, early childhood, and preparatory classes were granted an early end to Term 3, taking off the final two weeks of the term.
While applauding the inspectorate’s proactive stance to protect staff and students from heat exhaustion, Kalai urged all provincial stakeholders to take immediate structural action before the situation turns fatal.
"We can't wait until someone dies," Kalai said.