More than 40,000 grade 12’s sit the written expression paper

Gordon Secondary School year 12 students doing their written expression paper this morning. (NBC News)

Over 40,000 Grade 12 students across Papua New Guinea have begun sitting the first of this year’s major national examinations with the Written Expression Exam.

In the Nation’s Capital, Gordons Secondary School is among 249 secondary schools participating nationwide, with over 300 Grade 12 students taking the exam.

Gordons Secondary School Principal George Kenega said the school is confident of a strong performance, with Language being one of the school’s strongest subjects.

Mr Kenega said 340 students were originally registered for the exam, with 331 currently sitting after 9 students withdrew.

“Right now, we have 340 registered, but 9 have withdrawn. So the actual number of students in the exam is 331. From the results that they got from the model exams, it was good. So, we expect our students to do well,” Mr. Kenega said.

He said most of the withdrawals were due to financial difficulties and personal problems, with some students transferring to other institutions including UNS.

A major challenge for the school is the lack of an assembly hall. Mr Kenega said the school has been waiting for approval to build a hall for 4 years.

Year 12 students at Jubilee Secondary School in the NCD are sitting the final written expression paper. (NBC News)

As a result, exams are being conducted across nine separate classrooms.

“We have started at the old site, but it's taking too long. We have submitted the building design. To date, they have not given us approval to build a hall. Right now we are using nine exam rooms. If we had a hall, we would give everybody one area,” he said.

The Principal noted that a hall would make it easier to manage all students in one area and reduce logistical costs.

With the main Grade 10 and 12 examinations scheduled for November, Gordons Secondary has introduced daily remedial classes after normal lessons to further prepare students.

Three external invigilators are also overseeing the current exams to ensure integrity and prevent cheating.

Mr Kenega said the school remains committed to maintaining exam standards and supporting students despite the current space limitations.

The Written Expression Exam marks the start of the national examination period for Grade 12s, with further exams to follow in the coming months.