KOPEN Secondary’s four-in-one Grade 10 classroom was engulfed in flames at 2am yesterday. The school was recently nominated by the National Education Board to introduce School of Excellence curriculum ahead of other Highlands provinces. Enga police commander Chief Inspector George Kakas said they did not know who started the fire or what caused it but the classroom was reduced to ashes. “It could have been anyone or opportunists who took advantage of the situation and set the building on fire,” he said. Kakas said at around 4pm on Sunday, four or five landowners from the Neman tribe were at the school, approached the management and the principal and demanded project money owed to them. “The students intervened to help the principal and the staff and fought with the villagers,” he said. Kakas said the villagers went back and gathered their people and returned with a firearm and started shooting at the school.
“An ancillary staff received pallet wounds on his head and a student was shot in the leg,” he said. “Both were in critical condition but are now stable in the hospital.” He said at 7pm (on Sunday) police intervened and the suspects fled into the bushes and students were told to go back into their dormitories after speaking to village counsellors and leaders to help police arrest the suspects. “At 6am yesterday three suspects from the Neman tribe were brought forward.” Kakas said the three were locked up and had been charged with attempted murder. He said when he questioned the suspects, they said they didn’t know who had set the buildings alight but only staff and students were at the school. “The suspects cried and swore they didn’t do it. “They said them attacking the ancillary staff and students was enough damage done already.” Investigations are ongoing into how the classroom was set on fire. TheNational/PNG Education news / Photo by Anold Angu Also read Comments are closed.
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