The future of an important government education institution is being discussed in a series of meetings in Bulolo in the Morobe Province.
The Bulolo Forestry college, was responsible for producing some of Papua New Guinea’s top forestry experts including the Director General of the National Forest Authority, Kanawi Pouru.
In the next few days the government will decide whether to close the college or allow it to become an affiliated college of the University of Technology.
The Bulolo Forestry College used to train people who were responsible for many of the pine forests in the Bulolo, Watut and Menyamya areas. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the government placed a lot of emphasis on tree planting.
Forestry was an important component of district administrative functions. But in the 1990s, government attitudes shifted and forestry programs died out as funding dried up.
Changing attitudes and policies also affected Papua New Guinea’s only forestry training college in Bulolo.
This week, a meeting of key stake holders is discussing the future of the forestry college. Is it still relevant? Should the responsibility of its upkeep be passed on to the industry? How will it be funded?
There are already a set of recommendations. One recommendation is for the college to become an affiliate of Unitech. A similar arrangement exists between Divine Word University and Catholic Teachers and Nursing colleges.
The Director General of the National Forest Authority, Kanawi Pouru, was a student here. He says training standards have dropped significantly and graduates find that they’re not ready for what’s expected of them.
With widespread criticism of the logging industry practices, the country is again seeing a shift in attitudes towards plantation forests. International demand is also driving the attitude.
But the colleges’ future remains a matter yet to be settled.
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