THE Petroleum Resources Kutubu (PRK) in partnership with the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) has commissioned the Waro Junior High School in Waro, Kutubu, Southern Highlands Province.

Built at a cost of K14 million, the entirely new school will serve the population in one of the remote parts of Southern Highlands, nearby Mt Bosavi the wider Kutubu area.

The construction of the high school was sponsored by PRK, an MRDC subsidiary through the MRDC managed Community Investment Trust Fund (CITF) program which 30 per cent of landowner benefits are allocated for such projects. 

 MRDC managing director Augustine Mano said the delivery of Waro Junior High School demonstrated MRDC’s commitment to improving quality of life for landowners and the surrounding communities, and ensuring no child was left behind.

“Educating kids who live in these remote parts of our country is our top priority. I am very proud of this project and its implication on the people of Waro, Kutubu and Bosavi. The benefits ripple beyond the walls of the classrooms.

“This school will not only provide access to quality learning and ensuring qualified teachers are retained, it also becomes a hub for other community activities, including economic opportunities,” Mr Mano said.

The school concept was first developed in 2015. This was further supported with an initial funding of about K4.5 million in 2023 and now completed at a total cost of K13 million.

By current education standards, the school will take on students undertaking, grades seven to 10.

The school will also serve as a feeder school for areas such as Mt Bosave, Tamakiki, Kafa and the wider Kutubu, as a part of the Southern Highlands provincial education plan.

Assets on site includes 10 staff houses, four double classrooms, giving a total of eight classrooms, a science building, computer lab, administration building, ablution blocks and three dormitories, two for males and one for females including a mess facility. The project is situated on 2-hactares of land.