The Papua New Guinea- Australian partnership Together for Education project is helping to improve learning in remote schools in Middle Ramu of Madang Province.
Many schools in the district have limited teaching and learning resources, often relying on community volunteers to teach children given the lack of qualified teachers. Schools can only be reached by means of a two-hour drive to the Usino-Bundi boat stop followed by an eight-hour trip along the banks of the winding Ramu River.
Villages are mostly situated close to the river, but it can be a three-hour walk to reach communities further inland.
The project is delivered by World Vision in collaboration with the National Department of Education, Child Fund, the Consultative Implementation, and Monitoring Council, Library For All and the University of Canberra.
Last year at Annaberg Station, nearly 40 teachers from 19 Middle Ramu schools participated in a weeklong Standards Based Curriculum (SBC) English Syllabus training which helped them understand how to better teach the English syllabus.
Seven of the participants were volunteer teachers from Missingi Elementary School, who took part in the training to help their schools and communities.
Theresita Saka had been volunteering at the school for three years and found the program to be an eye-opener.
“I have never received such training before,” she said. “Now I understand very well how I can use the teachers’ guide and I am confident in my teaching.”
Donatus Egimi, also volunteer teacher at Missingi Elementary, said the training helped him understand different teaching strategies and how to use them correctly.
“I thought the only way to teach children to read was by giving them reading books,” he said. “The training taught us how to create teaching aids with materials to help the students learn to read.”
He added, “I am very happy to receive this training and I am now confident to teach the English syllabus.”
Other participants also grew in confidence and were more open to joining discussions as the training progressed.
The training also boosted their abilities to effectively use SBC scripted lesson plans in classroom teaching and assessment activities to enhance students’ speaking, listening, reasding and writing skills.
