Sogeri National High School is a school situated in Sogeri in the Central Province of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

(PNG). It was the country's first national high school and it educates students from all over the country in Forms 5 and 6 (Grades 11 and 12), prior to their going on to tertiary education. Many of PNG's leading politicians, administrators, business people and academics have been educated at the school. It was described by the country's first prime minister, Sir

Michael Somare Sir Michael Thomas Somare (9 April 1936 – 26 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician. Widely called the "father of the nation" (), he was the first Prime Minister after independence. At the time of his death, Somare was also the lo ...

, himself a former pupil, as "the school that shaped the nation".

History

Sogeri is situated on the Sogeri Plateau in the foothills of the

Owen Stanley Range Owen Stanley Range is the south-eastern part of the central mountain-chain in Papua New Guinea. Its highest point is Mount Victoria at , while its most prominent peak is Mount Suckling. History Owen Stanley Range was seen in 1849 by Captain Owe ...

. It is approximately 40 km east of PNG's capital

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...

. To its northeast is Owers' Corner, which marks the end of the

Kokoda Track The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland – in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japanese ...

, a walking trail that connects

Kokoda Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the ...

Oro Province Oro Province, formerly (and officially still) Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km2, and has 176,206 inhabitants (2011 census). The province shares la ...

to Sogeri. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Australian and other soldiers successfully defended the track against an attempted invasion of Port Moresby by the Japanese army. The school was started in 1944 with an emphasis on teacher training, as part of the Australian government's

Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme (CRTS) was an Australian government scheme started during World War II to offer vocational or academic training to both men and women who had served in the Australian Defence Force. Its purpose was to aid ...

for former service personnel. It was known as the Papuan Central Training School until 1947, when it was renamed as the Sogeri Education Centre. In 1958 it became the Sogeri Secondary School, changing its name in 1964 to be the Sogeri High School. In 1966 it merged with Iarowari High School, also in Sogeri, and at the end of 1969 it became a national high school, limiting its input to Forms 5 and 6, with younger children going to Iarowari. 1969 was also the first year in which girls were admitted. In 1975 the school became Sogeri National High School, remaining under that name until 2011 when it became the Sogeri National School of Excellence, although it continues to be referred to as a national high school.

Independence celebrations

Papua New Guinea achieved independence on 16 September 1975 and the school played a leading role in the celebrations. On 14 September foreign dignitaries, including over 30 Heads of State, arrived at

Jacksons International Airport Port Moresby International Airport , also known as Jacksons International Airport, is an international airport located outside Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It is the largest and busiest airport in Papua New Guinea, with an estimated 1.4 mil ...

to be met by the whole school in colourful costumes, representing the different provinces of the new country. On Independence Day the entire school formed a guard of honour for the new

flag of Papua New Guinea The flag of Papua New Guinea (Tok Pisin: ''plak bilong Papua Niugini'') was adopted on 1 July 1971. In the hoist, it depicts the Southern Cross; in the fly, a Raggiana bird-of-paradise is silhouetted. The design was chosen through a nationwide ...

as it was carried to the Flag Raising Ceremony on Independence Hill in

Waigani Waigani is a suburb of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It includes the Parliament Building of Papua New Guinea, the National and Supreme Court, the University of Papua New Guinea, Morauta House Morauta House is an office complex in Waigani, ...

, the government district of

. In the afternoon, students escorted visiting dignitaries during ceremonies at the

Sir Hubert Murray Stadium The Hubert Murray Stadium is a sports venue located in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea. It was developed for the 1969 South Pacific Games on reclaimed land at Konedobu that had previously been shoreline mangroves. The athlet ...

. The following day, at the same stadium, the students performed an historical tableau, depicting the history of PNG from pre-colonial times to independence. Finally, the students and staff were at the airport to farewell the visitors. For their contribution, Somare awarded the students a one-week holiday.

Courses offered

The school, which has over 700 students, now offers courses in the following subjects: language and literature; mathematics; biology; chemistry; physics; geology; applied science; economics; accounting; business studies; history; geography; legal studies; information technology; and home economics. Its facilities were significantly upgraded in 2014, at the time of its 70th anniversary, to provide a new administration block, school library, science blocks, two double storey dormitories for male and female students, a museum, an auditorium and teachers' houses.

Former students

Those that have studied at the school since its founding in 1944 include: *

, former prime minister of PNG *

Mekere Morauta The Right Honourable Sir Mekere Morauta (12 June 1946 – 19 December 2020) was a Papua New Guinean politician and economist who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1999 to 2002. Inheriting a depressed economy and a fra ...

, former prime minister of PNG * Joseph Nombri, PNG ambassador to Japan, South Korea and China * Ebia Olewale, former deputy prime minister * Auvita Rapilla, PNG Olympic Committee secretary-general *

Paulias Matane Sir Paulias Nguna Matane (21 September 1931 – 12 December 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician who served as the eighth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea from 29 June 2004 to 13 December 2010. His memoir ''My Childhood in New Guinea'' ...

, former governor-general * Patrick Pruaitch, longstanding member of parliament and leader of the opposition * Davis Steven, former deputy prime minister *

Evelyn Lavu Evelyn Lavu (died August 2021) was the most senior pathologist in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and a recognised leader in the fight against HIV, malaria and drug-resistant tuberculosis. She was Director of the Central Public Health Laboratory in Papua N ...

, former director of PNG's Central Public Health Laboratory *

Margaret Aka Margaret Aka (born 1976) is a soccer player and coach from Papua New Guinea. She is the first woman in Papua New Guinea — and the first in the world outside of New Zealand — to receive an Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) B License in coachi ...

, only the third woman in the world to coach a male

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team *

Oala Oala-Rarua Oala Oala-Rarua (12 June 1934 – 17 May 1980) was a Papua New Guinean educator, civil servant, trade unionist, politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the House of Assembly and Assistant Minister for the Treasury between 1968 and 1972, ...

, former PNG high commissioner to Australia

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1944 National high schools in Papua New Guinea Central Province (Papua New Guinea)