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MOU to assist teachers get support
“
Bulolo District does not have pride in education excellence
like some of its sister districts because of lack of good
education institutions, even though it is the first district to
thrive in business than any towns and or cities in PNG”, said
Bulolo District Administrator, Tae Guambelek.
Mr Guambelek compared Bulolo with other districts in
Morobe province where some of the top elites in the country
came from like Finchhaffen’s Manasupe Zurenuoc (Chief
Secretary) and his sister, Finkewe (former CEO of Institution
of PNG Engineers), Judge Don Sawong of Kabwum and pilot
Danny Stoll of Markham Valley.
He said Bulolo has yet to see some of its sons or daughters
making it to the top in education excellence for the people of
Bulolo to take pride in.
Mr Guambelek said this during the signing of an agreement
(MOU) for Bulolo District Elementary Education between the
Bulolo District Administration, Wau Rural and Watut Local Level
Governments (LLGs) and HVJV at the Bulolo Pine Lodge.
He said the environmental scars, heavy machinery
parts and old buildings left behind after the gold dredging
operations by different companies in the 1940’s to 70’s is now
referred to by many as ‘dust over Bulolo’.
He congratulated HVJV, the developer of Hidden Valley
gold mine for its contribution to educational development in
the district and said the ‘dust’ was slowly moving away and
one day, Bulolo will have elites of its own.
Mr Guambelek took into account the amount of
educational infrastructure assistance by way of classrooms,
mostly double storey four in one, for elementary, primary and
high schools, teachers’ houses and other materials. Mattresses,
computers, vehicle parts and units for student’s practical
sessions at Bulolo Vocational Technical School; Elementary
teacher’s training and school fee assistance program for the
children of Watut River communities who are attending
primary, high, secondary and technical schools since 2010.
The MOU signed was to consolidate the agreement in place
where HVJV will cater for the training of elementary school
teachers and also set aside a total of K93,000 to support the
SETTING FOUNDATIONS: Winima elementary
classroom completed. This building along with many
others under the same program now cater for an
increasing number of children who are recieving an
elementary education in their own villages for the
first time this year.
the teachers, two each from Nauti Elementary School in Watut
LLG and Kwembu and Winima Elementary Schools in Wau
Rural LLG, for three years starting this year.
Mr Guambelek, a Bulolo local from Mumentaeng village
in Mumeng LLG, conveyed his gratitude to HVJV for its input
not only in education, but health, agriculture including
aquaculture, water supply projects and infrastructure like small
bridges and road maintenance.
“Hidden Valley Joint Venture is not just a developer who is
here today and gone tomorrow but a real friend and partner
in the development of Bulolo district”, Mr Guambelek said
adding that HVJV did not work in isolation on its sustainable
development projects but in collaboration with LLGs,
Bulolo district and Morobe Provincial government, which he
described as superb.
Mr Guambelek challenged teachers from elementary
grades to secondary and technical schools to work hard to stay
ion par with schools in the towns and cities. He said there is no
difference in the teaching methods but only the locations and
that both teachers and students must strive for excellence.
As for the students Mr Guambelek said, in order to be a
father, one has to be a man, woman to be a mother and a good
student to gain a profession.
The MOU was signed by Mr Guambelek and Bulolo District
Education Adviser, John Tjipet, on behalf of the district and
government, CRD Programs Coordinator, Thelma Elizah, for
HVJV while Wau Rural LLG manageress, Judy Pokana, lead her
counterparts in signing on behalf of the two LLG’s.
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