WCC IS A POWERFUL RAINTREE

 

THE SCHOOL THAT GREW UP UNDER A RAINTREE

WCC director Benjamin Mul

By BIG PAT

IMAGINE a green rain tree.

It is indeed a huge shady tree, a home to the birds and fowl of the air, and the animals that dwell and seek refuge under its branches.

But the humble rain tree begins life as simple seedling placed in the earth. The young sapling takes many years to mature fully. It is a tree that stands the test of time - big and strong it can withstand dry, drought, fire and even rainy stormy weather.

In Port Moresby, there is an equally humble education institution that draws its definition of growth, strength and character from the boldness of the rain tree.

This story is about the Waigani Christian College - a private school whose infancy was rooted under a rain tree in Waigani.

Founded by former North Waghi MP Benjamin Mul in 1993, WCC started its classes under a raintree in Waigani when Mul, then a student at the University of Papua New Guinea, started the day school as part of his practical.

"To gain marks in my course, I gathered a few kids from around Waigani and started teaching them under the tree," he recalled.

From there, just like the growing tree, WCC grew from a junior school to a college in two decades and now boasts of a student population of 1800 handled by 49 teachers under the guidance of Mul, principal Abakure Kaupa and two deputy principals Valentino Mayo (academic) and Robert Kauna (administration).

A strict enforcer of Christian discipline, Mul believes in education grounded in Christianity and so his staff complement includes two fulltime pastors.

The main campus is at Waigani Heights on the side of a mountain that has been levelled out.

WCC executives in 2019

Over the years, the school has grown from an early childhood learning centre to a college with 11 buildings that house 44 classrooms, one library, one IT learning centre and a brand new science laboratory.

Mul is adamant that every Papua New Guinean child, irrespective of where he or she comes from, must be given every chance to be educated and to succeed.

Therefore, he travels often to less developed provinces to visit communities where many children cannot afford to continue their studies.

He has a strong held belief that drop outs are not really failures but products of our school system.

Therefore at WCC, you will find many drop outs enrolling every year.

"WCC is a second chance school. I believe in giving our children a second chance in life," he says.

"That is why we accept rejects or dropouts. But at the same time, every child is reminded that they have a responsibility as to why they are at this school, they are here to learn, improve their marks and be grounded in Christian living and education.

"I think we are the only college that has fulltime Christian pastors also teaching. Discipline here is very strict."

One of the success stories is that of a young Western Province student plucked from a village community and given a second chance at WCC by Mul.

When Mul asked the Western Province government to enrol more students and meet their education needs, the government declined.

But WCC persevered with its student who beat the odds and now is attending the University of PNG.

This college is persistent as well as consistent in its pursuit of excellence for its students. Two of its ex students received offers overseas. Mul recently attended the graduation of one.

The school is recognised by the PNG Department of Education. It recently received funding.

The National Capital District Commission, through Governor Powes Parkop, has also recognised the college and supported with 4 double classrooms and the ICT lab.

This year, 161 grade 12 students will sit for the national exams. They are the third batch.

The school stands by its guiding motto: Train up a child in a way he/she should go and when he/she is old, he/she will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22.6).

WCC is their rain tree.