Banks MP calls for upgrade of Lonsdale Memorial College

The Member of Parliament for Banks Islands in northern Torba Province has questioned whether the upgrade of the Lonsdale Memorial College in Torba will go ahead.

MP Danny Silas said during the First Ordinary Sitting of Parliament this week that the college’s administrators had petitioned the Government to rebuild the school’s facilities.

He says the petition was given to the Minister of Education and Training, Simeon Seule, during his official visit to Torba Province in March this year.

Mr Silas says the school needs an urgent upgrade to ensure the children of Torba are able to receive a good secondary education.

“The school is now in a very bad condition and it is the only college that provides secondary education services to every school child in Torba Province,” Mr Silas said.

“I want to ask the Minister of Education, after your visit to Torba, to the college, what was your opinion? Do you plan to upgrade our school?

“It is the only secondary school in Torba.”

Education Minister Simeon Seule responded saying that the Lonsdale Memorial College was in the ministry’s plan for the upgrade of school facilities.

But he said the shipment of materials to Torba for the upgrade would take time.

Minister Seule invited MP Silas to come to the education ministry to check on the progress of work towards the upgrade.

Lonsdale Memorial College is the only secondary college in Torba Province and is located on Vanualava Island in the Banks Islands Group.