ExxonMobil PNG volunteers commemorate World TB Day through awareness in local schools

EMPNG’s Production Operator Albert Bowman talking to Baguale primary school students during the World TB Day awareness event.

A total of 30 ExxonMobil PNG (EMPNG) volunteers commemorated the World TB Day during the last week of March in two local schools in Hela and Southern Highighlands Provinces. A team of 10 EMPNG volunteers visited Baguale Primary School in Southern Highlands while another team of 20 volunteers visited the Komo Catholic Primary School in Hela. The volunteers, who are ExxonMobil PNG staff, visited the students, teachers and parents with brochures and posters to raise awareness on TB. The main message for the awareness was that TB is a serious disease and if not treated early, it can be fatal. However the disease is curable and preventable.

EMPNG’s Operations Integrity Management System Advisor Robert Reeves with other EMPNG volunteers surrounded by Komo catholic primary school students for a chat after the awareness program.

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School fight started over boy-girl relationship

Provincial Education Advisor for Morobe Province Mr Keith Jiram has brushed aside reports that the school fight at the Bugandi Secondary School was in relation cult activities within the school. 

Mr Jiram said the fight that started at the beginning of the school year among students was in relation to a boy-girl relationship which than escalated to bigger fights involving students from different grades and classes. 

He said the Provincial Education Disciplinary Board will be having a meeting by next week Tuesday to discuss the status of Bugandi Secondary School which is currently on suspension for two weeks. 

“We will be discussing strategies and options in addressing this ongoing issue head on but two main options that will be discussed is whether we should change the school from boarding to a day school and also we are thinking of cutting down the number of grade 9 intakes” 

MR Jiram said there are almost 2000 students studying at the school and maybe that’s one reason why teachers cannot be able to control the entire student population when it comes to such incidents like the current issue.

Meanwhile, he said classes are expected to resume by the beginning of term 2 and also this two weeks suspension will buy some time for the Provincial Education Board to come up better strategies to address the ongoing school fight. ...read more on >> PNG Education News

PNGFM / PNG Today

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Police officer and Mother of 3 Graduates

Today another success for Papua New Guinea as another batch of students from the University of Papua New Guinea graduate with respective awards and certificates. 

The two day graduation event which ended on Friday saw a total of 1261 students graduating in the five faculties of the university.

Among the graduands from the School of Humanities and Social Science was a mother of three and police officer Esther Kiwa Levi of East Sepik Province who graduated with a bachelor in social works. Officer Levi who is a Police Training officer has been in the service for 26 years and says leaving her family to study has been a great challenge for her, but she announced that she is ready to go back into service to serve the force and the country.

Meanwhile, as the unemployment rate in the country increases every year, the fate of other graduating students to find employment rests solely on another path of sheer determination. PNGFM

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Education the way to go to reduce spread of dengue fever in PNG

A BUSINESS executive of the largest agriculture company, New Britian Palm Oil Limited (NBPO), is calling on the PNG Government to deal aggressively with dengue fever awareness.

NBPOL country manager Robert Nilkare is concerned that the lack of proper awareness in communities and families on issues and impacts surrounding dengue fever will be tantamount to loss of lives.

He said there is no proper treatment for dengue fever so education is the way to go.

"There is no proper treatment to procure for dengue fever so we must start educating our people to start cleaning their yards and stop breeding grounds for mosquitoes," he said.

"We must educate our people on prevention measures, such as reducing mosquito habitat areas and limiting exposure to mosquito bites", he said.

NBPOL is concerned that the lack of awareness by the Health Department could result in its employees getting sick with this disease.

He asked that this matter be addressed at the national level.

Towards the end of last week, Health Minister Michael Malabag said in a statement that two people in the National Capital District have already died from dengue Fever and the number of people falling ill with dengue fever is rising. Many cases are reporting at Port Moresby General Hospital accident and emergency department which is putting stress on the existing resources. Press Release

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Westpac Women and Girls Education Grants closing soon, apply now

With nominations for the Westpac Women and Girls Education Grants closing soon, the bank is encouraging females who would benefit from financial assistance towards the cost of their education to apply for a grant before it’s too late.
Westpac is offering a total of six education grants in Papua New Guinea in 2016 – 2 winners to get K3000 grants for primary school, 2 winners to get K3000 grants for high school or secondary college students, and 2 winners to get K3000 grants for tertiary students or workers who would like to return to study.
Westpac has offered these Grants since 2011 because the bank recognises the critical link between education and the broader empowerment of women across the Pacific.
“I strongly encourage women and girls from around the country to start on their applications now and to get their applications in by the deadline,” said Mr Cameron Penfold, Westpac PNG’s Head of Retail Banking.
“It’s so important for women in PNG to prioritise their education – well educated women and girls have a far stronger chance of enjoying financial and family stability throughout their lifetime and report overall high levels of wellbeing,” said Mr Penfold.
Grant application forms and information on criteria are available from Westpac’s website www.westpac.com.au/pacific and from all Westpac branches.
Applications for the 2016 grants close at 5pm on Tuesday 19th April, with winners announced in mid-May....read more on >> PNG Education News

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More than 1000 students graduate from University of Papua New Guinea

More than 1000 students have graduated during the University of Papua New Guinea's 61st graduation ceremony today. About  300 students  from the School of Business were  among more than 1, 000 graduands to pass out this morning marking DAY 1.

Vice Chancellor for the UPNG, Professor Albert Mellam while congratulating the graduands, reminded them of the challenges that await them as a result of changes that have taken place over time.

“We live in a time of change that includes accelerated globalization, revolutionary advancement in Information Technology and the clash of civilization and these transformations demand new order thinking for the new graduands”

He said every graduand should ask themselves how they can sustain self enterprising growth in today’s highly competitive global environment and how they can enhance their chances of positive path growth in their careers or self employment.

“These are fundamental questions that need to be asked so that you prepare yourself for what is out there and you must know how to survive in very competitive world that is changing real fast” said Professor Mellam.

Professor Mellam urged the graduands to utilise whatever skills or knowledge they’ve acquired from the University and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

He also reminded them that not all of them will get employment but they must use their skills in other areas as long as they have a job. 

Meanwhile the graduation will end tomorrow with the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, School of Law and School of Medicine & Health Sciences to graduate.

PNGFM / PNG Today

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Project fees to be refunded : PM O'Neill

Project fees collected by schools from parents at the start of the school year are to be refunded.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced this decision by the National Executive Council, saying this fee was not compulsory and was often excessive.
Prime Minister O’Neill said NEC has rescinded Clause (2) of the NEC Decision No. 358/2015 which had allowed for this fee to be collected.
Clause (2) of NEC Decision No. 358/2015 reads “approved in principle the Tuition Fee Free (TFF) Policy to improve on the management and disbursement of the TFF funds.”
It has been rescinded and replaced with “approved Tuition Fee Free (TFF) Policy to improve on the management and disbursement, and that no other fees including project fee and church agency fee is imposed on the parents and guardians.”
“Cabinet approved that all project fees collected by schools are to be refunded to parents. Cabinet also directed Treasury and Finance departments to release TFF funds to Department of Education quarterly and on time,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the rescinding of the clause came about as a result of reports and observations made that showed that rules for project fees have been grossly abused and miss applied by some schools.
“Project fee is not a compulsory fee and students’ right to education should not be denied,” he said.
Prime Minister O’Neill said the timely release of TFF funds to schools will ensure school operations are not hampered.
“If Treasury and Finance can release the TFF funds early, schools will not find excuses to charge these fees.”.. Read latest education news on >> PNG Education News Online 

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83 students graduate with certificates in disaster management

Building capacity to respond to disasters in the country is vital with the recent El Nino season and now that wet season. Having information and knowing how to manage disaster before it strikes can saves lives and this was exactly what the 83 students at the University of Papua New Guinea who graduated with certificates in Comprehensive Hazard and Risk Management (CHaRM) were trained to do.

This training is an initiative of the National Disaster Center and the strand of Environmental Science and Geography under the faculty of the School of Natural and Physical Science at the university to train and equip young people to assist in provincial governments and local wards in coming up with disaster management policies and identifying risks in disaster prone Areas. One of the graduands Mr Nathan Sapala when thanking the university and its partners said the training has equipped him and his colleagues to better manage disaster with the difficulties of geographic settings and ethnicity. PNGFM

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Shortage in TFF close Manus Schools

A shortage in the Tuition Fee Free money for schools in Manus province is forcing them to close early for the first term break.

Alois Kinol, who's the Chairman for high and secondary schools in the province, says the TFF funds ran out on them on the eleventh week of school.

He says, head teachers from respective schools have revealed that they've been operating on credit basis.

Mr. Kinol says, head teachers have agreed during a recent meeting, to forward the Week 11, which is their sports week, to next term.

"Seeing that disla tu em las wik blo mipla, mipla ilaik close somewhere insait long disla wik na salim ol sumatin igo.

"Na question nao istap olsem: taim mipla close, husait iken save, bai mipla inap long statim ken term 2?"

The schools are also starting to lay off some of their auxilliary staff due to the shortfall.

The Provincial Education Executive Manager Leonard Johnly has confirmed this tragic funding issue.

"Em i stret. Toktok bilong ol i stret.

"Funding bilong TFF ikam long olo skuls long province blo displa krismas ino bin kam gut olsem mipla expectim," Johnly said.

NBC News/ PNG Today

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Salvation Army students receive dictionaries from bank

​The Grade 8 students of Salvation Army were proud recipients of Westpac Dictionaries today. Westpac PNG's Managing Director, Geoff Toone visited the school yesterday and presented them the dictionaries to use for their school exercises.

The dictionaries come at an opportune time when the school students will need to use them to find words that they don't know the meanings to or even to confirm the spelling of words.

Westpac is happy to provide this service of equipping the students with literacy aids that will see the students prosper and grow in their lives in the long run.

"We want to be able to assist in your learning and that will see your own personal development and academic achievements grow today and into the future!  A learned student will contribute to family, community and country development in the long run," Toone said. Read more on >> PNG Education News

Press release

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Pacific TAFE programmes accredited

Seven programmes with a total of 10 qualifications from The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) have been granted full accreditation by the Fiji Qualifications Council (FQC).

The programmes are Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (Level 3), Certificate IV in Hospitality Operations, Certificate IV in Human Resources, Certificate IV in Project Management, Diploma in Information Technology (Level 5), Diploma in Office Management (Level 5), and Diploma in Accounting (Level 5).

According to the Director of Pacific TAFE, Mr Hasmukh Lal, the accreditation confirms that Pacific TAFE, as a new and strategically transformed learning and teaching section, delivers high quality skills qualifications which meet industry standards and labour market demand.

He said that it adds significant value in terms of Pacific TAFE graduate employability and mobilisation in the region and abroad.

The director believes that the accreditation will give competitive edge to students in seeking entry at USP and professional employment opportunities, adding that the accreditations provide confidence to employers to recruit USP graduates, since they are trained with quality and standards.

Mr Lal said that quality programmes help to maintain student satisfaction and stakeholder loyalty as well.

“Pacific TAFE is building a reputation for quality by gaining accreditation with recognised quality agencies regionally and internationally,” he added.

Since November 2015, the application for programme accreditations went through a series of quality assurance processes by the Fiji Higher Education Commission from where the programmes were recommended to be accredited.

Pacific TAFE is looking into achieving FQC accreditation for other programmes.

     

Source: 

USP

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UPNG Students Accomadation Hall burnt down

Over 80 first year University of Papua New Guinea students now have no where to sleep and do their studies after their dormitory got burnt down by fire last night.
According to students residing at the Talaigu Dormitory, the fire started at the top floor at around 6pm believed to be caused by an electrical fault.
The fire crews arrived at the sight, but were unable to stop the spread of the fire due to not enough fire hydrants located at the dormitory area for additional water for fire fighters to use.
One of the first year students James Konga said he was at the mass having his meal at the time the fire start, but by the time he ran out to save his things the fire had already spread.
“I heard other students shouted fire then I ran out to see my dorm burning. I managed to save some of my things,” he said.
Meanwhile, the students are now frustrated and blamed the poor maintenance of the dormitory for the fire.
According to Student Warden Mr. Samuel Banake, the dormitories were renovated some years back, but since that time of renovation not much has been done. PNGFM

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Inclusive Education for Disabled kids in PNG

Inclusive Education is still an issue for children with disability in the country and this was one of the key issues highlighted this morning during the National Disable Day Celebrations with the theme “Inclusive Matters – Access and Empowerment of People with Disabilities”.
Students representing six (6) main stream primary schools in NCD that have been accepting children with disabilities from the Cheshire Learning Centre all turned up for the event.
United Nations Resident Representative Mr Roy Trivedy stressed on the important of inclusive education.
“All schools throughout the country should make their schools inclusive and accessible for both the disable and the normal children to learn, which is one way to show the people with disability that disability does not stop one from achieving his or her dream.”
Mr Trivedy said inclusive development is one of the key goals in the 2016 Sustainable Development Goals that must be achieved by all.

PNGFM / PNG Today

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New Scholarships to benefit students in LNG provinces in PNG

Students in the PNG LNG Project areas in Papua New Guinea will benefit from new scholarships provided by ExxonMobil PNG and the Australian Government through the Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships program.

The Australia Awards - PNG LNG Scholarships will help to address the rural workforce gap in PNG LNG Project areas and encourage students to complete tertiary studies in the fields of health and education. 

Scholarships in health and education are being offered in select institutions in Papua New Guinea with successful applicants receiving full tuition fees, airfares and living allowances. 

Information on the scholarship will be available via the Australia Awards PNG LNG Scholarship link from www.pnglng.com.  Selection of awardees is merit-based with consideration for academic performance and the capacity of applicants to contribute to their communities.  

ExxonMobil PNG managing director Andrew Barry said the scholarships are focused on students living in rural and remote areas in the provinces where PNG LNG has its operations.

“The aim of this program is to continue to build the foundation for a highly competent and capable, professional Papua New Guinea workforce.  

“We are pleased to partner with the Australian Government to offer a scholarship program which encourages academic excellence,” said Barry.

Acting Australian High Commissioner Bronte Moules said the Australian Government has supported scholarship programs in Papua New Guinea for more than 40 years.

“Education is one of the key pillars of assistance to a Papua New Guinean economy in transition.  As the labour market expands in Papua New Guinea, continued investment in a skilled and technically qualified workforce is important to ensure Papua New Guinea makes the most of opportunities to achieve real and sustained change,” said Moules.

The Australian Government is pleased to collaborate with private sector partners in innovative ways in the education sector in Papua New Guinea. 

See other Scholarship opportunities on >> Scholarships for PNG Students 

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