The partnership between the government and Catholic Church has seen yet another successful achievement.
A new Secondary School Teacher College was opened in Kokopo, yesterday by the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Delilah Gore.
This will be the second secondary school teacher college in the country after the University of Goroka, and is expected to correct the imbalance in the teacher student ratio, felt across PNG secondary schools, following the introduction of the tuition fee free education policy by the government.
A dream, conceived by the Catholic Church more than 20 years ago, became real this year, when the former St Peter Channel Catholic Seminary, was converted to a Secondary School Teachers College, and opened yesterday.
Government Officers present, told of how crowded PNG Secondary Schools were, and how this new college would help in reducing this number. He also said the level of Maths, Science and English was dropping in Secondary Schools, and is evident in the outcome of end of year examinations, and this new college should be an establishment to address this.
Higher Education Minister, Delilah Gore, was the keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremony, and also raised concerns of poor performance by students in these subjects, and how it can be corrected with good teacher training, especially female teachers.
She commended the Catholic Church and the Archdiocese of Rabaul, for this achievement, but also challenged the college management to get the necessary work in place, for it to be recognised as a Higher Learning Institution.
She committed K500, 000, to establish and develop the college, while Member for Kokopo and East New Britain Governor, Ereman ToBaining Junior, and Deputy Prime Minister, Grand Chief, Sir Leo Dion, also committed K500, 000 each to the new college.
Sir Dion asked the college to submit funding proposals to the government and utilise the K25 million available for church and government partnership programs.
The day’s other activities included the unveiling of the plaque by Grand Chief Sir Leo Dion, to mark the opening of the new college, and the launching of the schools logo, designed by one of its own students.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fq6vcETvQr8%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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