Remote Santo School pushes ahead with Year 9 and 10 expansion despite financial hurdles

The Mamara Central School, located on Santo's west coast, is actively pushing forward with its plans to open Year 9 and Year 10 classes. Despite facing funding challenges and not having received external assistance, the school remains determined to provide more educational opportunities for local students.

Situated at the end of the no-road leading to Tasiriki village, Mamara School aims to provide secondary education for students from North West Santo, West Coast Santo, and South Santo. This initiative, driven entirely by the local community, seeks to bridge the significant educational gap in the region.

Peter Lulu, chairman of the Year 9 and Year 10 project committee, stated that the idea to add these classes originated from a School Community Association (SCA) meeting. "We came together and agreed that we must start Year 9 and Year 10 here," he said. To kickstart the project, the community organized a fundraising event, raising approximately 80,000 Vatu; however, transportation costs alone amounted to 20,000 to 25,000 Vatu, proving insufficient to cover all expenses.

"We managed to secure additional funds from compensation money provided by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), which is undertaking the South Santo road project," Lulu explained. "They allocated 800,000 Vatu to compensate schools whose properties were affected by the road construction, and we sought permission from the school board to use this money to build new classrooms. Thankfully, they approved."

On Tuesday, February 18th, the community held a groundbreaking ceremony for a double classroom building measuring 21 meters long and 9 meters wide. The goal is to complete the project this year and welcome the first Year 9 students in 2026. This move is widely considered crucial because the nearest secondary schools—Menevra School and Tata School—are far apart, making it difficult for students to enroll. Due to the financial burden of transportation and accommodation, many children are unable to continue their education after primary school.

"Parents on West Coast Santo face extreme challenges, having to pay for boat fares and truck fares to send their children to school," Lulu said. "This initiative will significantly reduce costs and enable more students to continue their education." The Provincial Education Officer (PEO) for Sanma Province visited North West Santo, West Coast Santo, and South Santo last year and confirmed Mamara School as a suitable location for Year 9 and Year 10.

"The PEO noted that Mamara has a reliable water supply, a nearby health center, and is a convenient stopover for parents traveling to and from West Coast Santo and Luganville," Lulu pointed out. "This will make it easier for families to visit their children and stay connected with their education." Nevertheless, community leaders acknowledge that external support would help expedite the project. Lulu made a direct appeal to the Members of Parliament representing rural Santo to provide assistance. "We have tried applying for assistance, but we know that it is not guaranteed, so we have to take action ourselves," he said. "However, if any MPs are willing to offer assistance, we would be very grateful."

Jerry Amboe, acting principal of Mamara School, emphasized the community's determination to make the project a success. "We will continue to organize fundraising events, and we are considering contacting alumni of Mamara School who are now employed to see if they can contribute."