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Goroka International
School celebrates 30 years
By CLIVE HAWIGEN
The International Education Agency (IEA) this year celebrates its
30th anniversary.
IEA schools throughout PNG will celebrate the occasion with
various colorful programs marking this remarkable educational
journey and achievements.
When IEA set out on the journey as an educational institution 30
years ago, its founding fathers never thought it would grow into
one of the biggest run private educational systems in the Southern
Hemisphere, outside Australia and New Zealand.
Thirty years on, the IEA system has about 20 schools across PNG,
have localized most of its staff and is experiencing a number of
growing interests from Papua New Guinean and expatriate parents
who want the best for their children’s education.
The Goroka International School (GIS) in the Eastern Highlands
province is a shining example of the agency’s firm growth in PNG.
GIS is situated towards the western part of Goroka town under
gigantic pine trees. Under these trees are blocks of classrooms
that are divided into different sections.
Following the neat footpaths that bare the faded paint marks of
blue squares, red circles and orange rectangles clearly for
children’s amusement and classrooms adorned with traditional face
paintings over the sky blue painted walls would lead to the
different sections that make up GIS.
These are the junior section which consists of the Early Childhood
Center (ECC) right up to Prep, the middle section which is grade
one to grade six and the high school section comprising grades
seven to ten.
Currently there are about 230 students attending the school, an
enrolment scenario which has seen continuing growth since 2005.
Most of these students are Papua New Guineas, a growing number of
Asians, a result of the influx of Asians into the province to set
up businesses and the rest consists students of other
nationalities.
The most notable development at GIS to mark the 30th anniversary
celebration is the construction of a new 1 x 4 unit two storey
classroom.
This new building consists of four classrooms to cater for the
high school section and the proposed introduction of its first
grade 11’s next year.
It would also house a new library.
An elated principal of GIS, Richard Murke, said this was a time of
positive change for the school.
Mr Murke, who was on site to witness the demolition of the decade
old high school building, said this marked a new strategic era for
GIS.
He said his aim was to make GIS a model IEA school which is daring
enough to go beyond functional/operational leadership roles to
embracing higher strategic leadership techniques which are
imperative to realizing tangible developmental growth.
He said this goes in line with the schools motto ‘Building On
Creating Change’ adding that they are trying to meet the
increasing demand of enrolling children at GIS.
Mr Murke said it is most important to diversify learning
facilities, programs and teacher leadership and teaching skills to
continue to provide an environment conducive to meaningful leaning
to respond and enhance the ever spiraling aspirations of every
stakeholder.
It is a risk Mr Murke is taking.
“It’s risky to get too enthusiastic about new ideas. You’ve heard
it said that two wrongs don’t make a right. Well, that may be true
when you’re talking ethics. But in the matters of productivity and
quality, two wrongs may very well lead us to right. We need people
who are not afraid to be wrong occasionally in order to increase
our chance of being right most of the time when it counts,” Mr
Murke said.
He said this development plus other development that would come in
the near future is all about ensuring that there was a spiraling
development of skills or complexity of thought in dealing with
every learning exploration and discovery.
The IEA curriculum arranges student learning into eight areas;
mathematics, English language, society and environment, science,
physical education/ health and personal development, technology,
arts and language other than English.
This curriculum is based on the development of a large number of
student learning outcomes that reflects recent developments in
international curriculum and one that would allow for a clear
statement of the learning path along which all students travel.
Taken from the IEA curriculum overview leaflet, the institutions
key outcomes are that each child would be self-directing, able to
communicate effectively, behave ethically, work collaboratively
and analyze and solve problems.
Although the system embraces an international curriculum, it also
caters equally for students from Papua New Guinea by meaningful
integration of PNG’s curriculum requirements.
GIS has now stepped into phase two of its development plan after
successfully completing phase one which was to strengthen the
fiscal outlook as well as improving the working relationship
between the school board and the IEA.
Mr Murke said this plan hopes to see the continuous development of
the school for the next 30 years.
He said they were also planning to introduce other market-driven
programs in the future. One of which is through TAFE
He said TAFE gives additional course on top of what students were
learning in high school.
He said these would give students a choice either to seek direct
employment or go on to other higher learning institutions.
GIS has truly become localized with 100 percent of the
administration and teaching staff all Papua New Guineans.
Over the years the school has succeeded in achieving many
milestones.
“We are proud to note our enhanced fiscal control and management
results after our turn-around- year of 2004. We applaud our
collaboration with the IEA head office in this regard. Our school
board is now working in partnership with the IEA, our junior
school enrolment figures have grown significantly. The high school
enrolment numbers is currently the highest since its inception.
The middle school continues to see significant growth adding to
the aggregate growth that is the highest enrolment figure since
1999,” pointed out Mr Murke, who comes from East New Britain
Province.
The new building being constructed by Negara Constructions, a
locally owned construction company, is estimated to be around K1
million.
With the building completed, a new era in providing quality
education will emerge as the grades nines and tens continue on to
grades 11 and eventually grade 12 making GIS a truly one-stop
school catering for children from ECC all the way to grade 12 and
beyond.
 
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