Frequently Asked Questions

The School Calendar

What is a typical school calendar like?  Ukarumpa International School (K-12) runs on a modified northern hemisphere school calendar. The new school year starts in late July and ends in late June of the following year. The 190 school days are divided up into four terms/quarters of nine or ten weeks each. Between terms there are breaks of at least two weeks to allow middle and high school boarding students to spend more time with their parents. There are four to five weeks of holiday in June/July between school years and five to six weeks of holiday in December/January in keeping with the PNG school system.

I understand that reading is taught at the kindergarten level in the Ukarumpa Schools. At what age can I enrol my child? A student has to be at least five years old by the 30th June before the school year starts.  Students are screened for readiness before being admitted in a kindergarten class.

Do you place children by their age in grade levels? Yes and no. First, we look at the child’s age but we also give all students an assessment to ensure they are placed in the correct class.

We are coming to PNG to work in translation. We have primary school age children that we feel are too young to board. What options do you have for our children’s education? The primary campus has a special village program. Translators teach their children in the village with school curriculum and term outlines prepared by the classroom teacher. Village families have weekly radio contact with the classroom teacher in order to make the transition from village to classroom a smooth one.  Primary age children are not allowed to stay in the children's home.

What is the average class size? The size of a given grade level averages between 16 to 25.  The student to teacher ratio varies from 10 to 25 students to one.

How do UIS graduates qualify for university entrance in the various home countries they represent? Each country has a different set of requirements but all are looking for the best-qualified students. It is a challenge to give proof of a student’s qualifications and to show that they have not had an inferior education while living overseas. The school provides official transcripts that show the breadth and depth of courses taken and student results in each course. In addition, UIS offers opportunities for other standardized tests, such as the American Scholastic Aptitude Test, American College Test, Advanced Placement Tests, Australian (NSW) Higher School Certificate exams, and British Ordinary Level exams.  This external testing shows the university selection committees the student’s abilities. 

Is it just one class per grade?  There is just one class at each grade level. The size varies each year. At the primary campus classes are capped at 25.

Curriculum 

Can I teach my own children using UIS materials after 6th grade while I work away from Ukarumpa? No, students normally begin staying in the children’s homes in seventh grade when their parents are in the village.

What foreign language classes are offered at the high school level? Depending on teacher availability Spanish, French, and Japanese are the options. Melanesian Pidgin (trade language in PNG) is also taught for one term to 7th graders.

I understand that there is a Mother Tongue Studies (MTS) Program for children from non-English speaking countries. Can you tell me more about what to expect at UIS? UIS is an English speaking International School but we do have MTS lessons each week for various languages, if the countries involved provide a teacher.

Is Ukarumpa International School recognized by an accrediting agency? Since 1978 it has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) based in California, USA. This involves a school and community wide self-study every six years followed by a committee visit. There is also a mid-term report and campus visit by a WASC committee every three years.

What electives are offered at the high school level? Depending on teacher availability, courses are offered in art, drama, foreign languages, wood and metal shop, home economics, computer, band, PE, choir and work study. Students can also pursue correspondence courses if a course is not taught at UIS.

What opportunities are there to develop musical skills and interests?  We have an excellent music program here with sufficient and qualified music teachers consisting of Beginner Band (grade 5), Middle school Band (grades 6, 7 and 8) and High school Band (grade 9-12) as well as middle school choir and high school choir. Each student in band receives 1:1 or 1:2 weekly instrument lessons. We offer Music Theory levels 1 and 2 as staffing is available.

What is the daily schedule?  - Do you have block or period classes?  The secondary campus uses a period 1-8 day.

Do the students have the same teacher for various subjects? With 56 teachers on the secondary campus (many part-time) this does not happen much. At the primary campus, the students are mostly with the same teacher.

Extra curricular program

Are there competitive sports for both boys and girls at the high school level? Each term a different sport is rotated for boys and girls including softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and athletics/track and field. Invitational tournaments are held each term involving four or five area schools, both expat and national schools.

Are there any organized youth sports available?  Yes, both as part of the PE program and to a more limited extent as a part of the community. For example, there is a soccer group that meets every Saturday that includes players from grade 9 and up through adult. Other opportunities exist when parents with such interests and skills come forward and organize them. There is a weekly indoor floor ball opportunity, and a basketball team.

Other extra-curricular activities?  There are horses that can be owned or loaned, a motorcycle club and occasional hikes and “white-water” rafting (gumi-ing) events too, mostly organized by youth groups. Trips to Yonki Lake for camping and water activities are common as well. Youth groups meet for social mingling on a weekly basis. There are voluntary weekly Bible study groups that meet for most ages from grades 7 and up.

Financial Matters

We were also wondering on the availability of banks and ATM cash machines in the Highlands. Is there a bank in Kainantu with an ATM? There is a bank in Kainantu, but no ATM. Long lines for nationals, shorter ones for expats (expatriates). The bank name is Bank of South Pacific.

Or is there an ATM or bank facility in Ukarumpa itself? All SIL members automatically receive an account with our Finance Office in Ukarumpa. It is possible for you, if you are not with SIL, to arrange to have an account (USD) at Ukarumpa with SIL Finance office to facilitate payments, withdrawals, etc. SIL is not a bank, but does offer such services for members and for those who have a working relationship with SIL. The Finance Office would have the final word on that. It would definitely be convenient for your children for the various things that come up for them to have an account to charge since cash is hardly used on centre except for market and Sunday morning offerings. There is no ATM here in Ukarumpa, but the cash window is open weekday mornings and it would definitely be more feasible for you to come to Ukarumpa than to Kainantu--safer too.

 

Teacher Dress Code

I have a few questions about dress expectations of teachers and other things.  I am usually in dress slacks and a button down shirt, with an occasional tie.  How do teachers dress there?  Is it more casual?  There is quite a bit of freedom in this regard. It is more informal than what one would find in the home country, but too casual is not healthy either.

For men, dressy shorts or casual pants and a collared/button-up shirt is fine. Ties are occasional and not required. No one wears dress pants or jackets.

For ladies, skirts/dresses are preferred on centre in deference to the nationals, some of whom find slacks on women immodest. If you wear slacks please wear a shirt that goes to the mid-thigh.

During the rainy season, should I have sloppy shoes to wear when I walk to school (I assume that I will walk) and then change?  Or does the rain usually hold off until afternoon?  Usually the rain occurs from mid afternoon, during the night, and ends in the early morning hours. The roads are not paved on centre, but one can get most places without wading through mud and water. (The kids can’t seem to find those routes, though.) Sandals or running shoes/sneakers seem to be fine for most people. An umbrella is a good idea, but they can be purchased here for very little money. They don’t seem to last very long in our family though, so a higher quality one from home may be a good idea for those rare afternoons where walking home through the rain is inevitable.

Are the rooms air-conditioned?   The computer rooms are air conditioned because the computers generate so much heat, but otherwise there is no need. The average daily temperature in Ukarumpa is 15-20ºC so it is always very comfortable since we are at 1500m (5100’) altitude. When one arrives in Port Moresby, the heat and humidity may be oppressive, but it is very comfortable—even cold at times—in Ukarumpa.

FAQs for living in Ukarumpa

Housing and Vehicles

Regarding life in Ukarumpa, what is the current housing situation?  The price of an average 3-4 bedroom house on centre is about $20-45,000 USD, but there is a priority system based on seniority for offers less than the full asking price, so one should not expect to come here and immediately buy a house, although that could happen.

Is there a waiting list? Our Housing Dept is good at providing homes to people, but one should expect to move at least every 6 months. In a few cases people have been blessed to be able to live in the same house their entire first term!

Are vehicles available for purchase at Ukarumpa? Yes. They can be readily purchased from fellow missionaries on centre or in Lae, a port city only 3.5 hours away. The cost for a good used pickup truck would be $5-6K.

How long of a drive is it to Kainantu? 15 minutes/ 60-80 km/h. Madang? 5 hours Lae? 3.5 hours/80-100 km/h. Goroka? 1.5 hours/60-80 km/h.

What is there to do for weekend and vacation recreation?

• Goroka Bird of Paradise
• Jais Aben
• Lae Guesthouse
• Other

What is a good PNG news source? The Courier

Are the roads in decent shape? They are fairly decent. Recently Australia and Japan have invested millions on upgrading the roads and this has greatly improved the driving conditions, speed and comfort (that’s why I added average driving speeds above). They are mountainous roads so sometimes the heavy rains can wash out a section or a bridge.  It may take time for this to be repaired.

Internet

My husband was wondering what access we might expect to have to computers, e-mail, internet and so on. Is there a computer in every home? Would we need a laptop?  Houses come with lines and phones, but not computers so yes, I would bring a laptop. There is regular and reliable access to email, but the internet is somewhat restricted (filtered) by the centre. ADSL connections are available. High speed access is here by satellite and is pretty good.  You can also purchase a wireless router here to use in your home.

Typical Dress

What type of clothes you typically wear? Casual is the way to go, and yes, mostly summer clothes. Our boys wear shorts and t-shirts all the time, but many kids do wear pants or long sleeves early in the morning. It's "winter" here right now and so the mornings are quite chilly (we even build a fire sometimes). However, by 9:00 it’s good and warm out-- so that's why my boys (so far) can't be bothered with warmer clothes. Sandals are great and running shoes. Footwear IS required for school, but many children go barefoot at all other times. The children who have been here for ages never wear shoes, not even to church. I brought two or three sweatshirts and a spring jacket for each child and a few larger ones. I also brought rubber boots, which the girls used a fair bit in the rainy season. Umbrellas seem like the way to go for rain, although a few kids have rain gear. Mostly it’s too much of a nuisance to carry around when the rain stops and besides it's warm out in the rainy season. 

Ladies have a dress code of skirts or bottoms that look like skirts and modest tops-- no big dips in the front or back, and nothing tight around the hip area since that seems to be the most sensitive part of the body here. Sleeveless tops are fine, and you might want to know that on Saturdays and in the evenings many women wear jeans because few nationals are on centre. It’s not specifically condoned though. I also have some WARM sweatshirts/sweaters because sometimes the early morning trip to market is cold. Men wear nice casual clothes to work and shorts are very acceptable for male teachers. No ties. Not even to church, though you may if you like. We were advised to bring one very nice dressy outfit to wear on occasion and graduation time needs a tie and jacket. Ladies’ Sunday attire ranges from very casual to dressy.  

Do they wear t-shirts?  Yes, yes, it gets too hot to wear much other than cotton.  Sleeveless tops? Yes 

What are “laplaps”? Laplaps and meri blouses are the clothes national style—laplap is a one size fits all wrap around skirt (some people wrap them around two times, others only 1 or 1- 1/2) and a meri (girl/lady-- female) blouse is a blousy top that hangs over the skirt-- past the hips. Quite pretty, but wild colours.

Off Centre Activity

You can do lots of swimming around PNG though and scuba diving and snorkelling is a favourite holiday or even weekend activity for people here. There are awesome coral reefs, etc. I've heard and one lady makes a hobby of underwater photography! I think we are about a four hour drive from there-- and you can rent vans from the centre.

There is a fresh water lake nearby (Yonki Lake, 50 minutes away) where people go camping, sailing, swimming, canoeing, and fishing.