By Kingsford Mahuvu
During the WNBP Elementary School Teachers graduation, young man rose from his seat in a graduation gown after a name was announced to receive his teaching certificate.
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| Son Receives Teaching Certificate Instead of his Dad |
He looked up the podium and lowered his head as he walked up grass aisle towards the podium.
Before stepping up the stairs, he picked the edge of his gown and covered his faced, broke down and wept openly. He wept not of tears of joy but tears of sorrow and sadness.
He was not the right person announced to receive the certificate but was son of the teacher who has passed on while waiting to received his teaching certificate.
Another elderly graduand behind him moved in to support him up the stairs onto the podium to receive his late father's teaching certificate.
His father joined WNBP Elementary School training in 2007 and passed out in 2010 without official graduation. After completion of his courses he went home to teach at Kapo Elementary School for 10 years without teaching certificate.
In December 2020 he passed on while still waiting for his teaching certificate.
When I approached him later, the son emotionally said," It would have been different scenario today. I would be proud son to watch my dad walk up that aile to receive his certificate and not me. He is the rightful owner. He worked hard for it. He deserve it more then I do. Why waiting anxiously for a decade, for this day? Why it has to be this long?
Most of the teachers that graduated in a mass graduation in West New Britain have all completed their necessary training many years ago and had been waiting for the Teaching Certificates ever since. Some have moved on to join other careers and some have passed on.
This raises the serious questions about the performances, competency and reliability of WNBP Division of Education. Graduation is conducted and celebrated straight after the ending of the training. Why it has to wait this long? Is it the fault of the Material Production Units not printing certificates in time or is it that submissive of names by the Provincial education office for certificate printing or is it a financial constrains?
Many of these questions have been left unanswered.
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