GORDON Secondary School is embarking on providing high performance of student’s academic learning, a school official says.
Principal George Kenega said the school was famous in Port Moresby and throughout the country because of the good record of academic performance of students. “Generally speaking, this school has been known nationwide for its high academic excellence, that’s what makes this school one of the best school in the country,” Kenega said. Gordon Secondary is one of the oldest schools in the country. It was built prior to the country’s independence. The school was established in 1972 in the middle of Gordon suburb (formally known as Gordon Estate) and was named Gordon High School. It was a co-educational and a multi-racial school teaching dual curricula, PNG and New South Wales curricula. The first headmaster at that time was Bob Ginbey, an expatriate. He was the headmaster from 1972 to 1973. In 1974 all the expatriate students and those PNG students who had studied in the NSW curriculum were transferred to (present-day) Port Moresby International School. Gordon then became an all-PNG curriculum school. It continued as a provincial high school from 1974 to 1993. The first Grade 10 graduation was in 1975, the year that PNG got its political independence. The school was upgraded to secondary school level in 1993 when it enrolled its first two classes of Grade 11s. The first Grade 12 students graduated in 1994 under the leadership of Christopher Leete, the principal. The school ceased to enroll Grades 7 and 8s in 1996. In 1997 the school only catered for classes from Grades 9 to Grade 12. The current principal (Kenega) is the fourth of the school since 1993 when it changed its status from high school to secondary school. The longest serving principal so far was Dam Lora with a term of 13 years, 2001-2014. This year the school has enrolled more than 1000 students and 44 academic staff, including eight contract teachers from the Philippines. The school is a government institution and is funded by government through the tuition-fee free subsidy. It is one of the best schools in the country that has produced many great leaders and professionals who are working in various organisations in the country. Every year about 99 per cent of Grade 10 students successfully pass their exams and continue to Grade 11 and more than 70 per cent of Grade 12s are selected to various tertiary institutions in the country. Kenega said the only challenge that the school was facing was the teachers’ accommodation. He said there was limited number of teachers’ houses. Kenega said the school had committed itself to build a house every year for teachers.
1 Comment
Simon James
2/2/2016 02:45:27 pm
I worked with Chris Leete in Dogura in 1983 - 1985. I am trying to re-connect. Does any one know how and where. Thanks
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