I have seen many girls become interested in Science and as a Science teacher, this is very encouraging.
I do my best to encourage them to take up Science because through Science we can learn many things, because it is observing the nature around us.
My name is Mary Aisa Ono, I am 48 years old and I am married with five children, two boys and three girls. They have all grown up now. My first born is a teacher like me, my second born is doing his final year studying Business and Management at UPNG and my third daughter is studying at the University of Goroka, training to be a secondary school teacher, taking up education, specializing in accounting.
My fourth daughter is married with a baby, she got married when she was in grade 12. My last child is in grade 9.
I am a senior teacher at the Tubusereia Primary school and teaching grade eight Science. This is my 18th year of teaching. I started my teaching career in 2003. Before that, I was working with the then PNG Banking Corporation now grown to be BSP.
I graduated from the Kerevat National High in East New Britain Province before taking up Science Foundation at UPNG, but I never completed my studies and ended up with my husband. I had my kids and them I decided to become a teacher. I was trained at Gaulim Teachers College in East New Britain to become a certified primary school teacher.
I spent the longest teaching career in my home in Kairuku district, Central Province where I spent 12 years. This is my first year of teaching at Tubusereia Primary School.
I love teaching and living here, I love the place and the community, transferring from a different district to a new one means going into another culture and a new group of people. More or less, our customs are the not the same. Some things I do are not in line with the way things are done around here, but that is the only difference that I can say.
Overall, they are very good people and I love the place. The thing I love the most about his place is its nearness to the city and we have access to the city for shopping and going to the hospital. That’s one good thing I like about where I am now.
I plan to stay at Tubesereia for at least another three to five years before I go back for further studies.
In 2018, I took up a two-year degree program at the PNG Education Institute in Port Moresby, I hope to enroll and study for my second degree in 2023, if time and money permits.
Comparing the academic performance of this district to the last one I was in, I can say that these students are more advanced than my district because of the resources that they have. Since this school is closer to the city, they have access to donors so they are well equipped in terms of resources. Their learning speed and the quality of English that they speak is advanced than schools in the Kairuku District. That is from my own observation.
I also make it a point to talk to my students about teenage pregnancies because it has been affecting many students and I always do my best to make sure I talk to them about it as a mother and as their teacher.