Landowners invest in human resource
By ANDREW ALPHONSE
UNLIKE other landowners from the oil rich Southern Highlands province, the Moran oil project landowners have decided that proceeds from their natural resource would be invested in developing their human resource.
Moran Special Purpose Authority (MSPA) chairman Thomas Mulungu and director Agipe Pai made this known in Tari during the launching of the first ever outcome-based- education (OBE) in-service and curriculum workshop for elementary, primary and secondary school teachers in the Hela region.
Mr Mulungu and Mr Pai said MSPA, which was established last year, decided to undertake and prioritise human resources development of their area and had spent more than K200,000 this year to assist schools in the Hulia local level government of Komo-Margarima electorate.
The money was used to ship about two tonnes of OBE curriculum materials from the curriculum division in Port Moresby and delivered to schools in the district last week.
Part of the money was used to fund a one-week OBE training for more than 100 Hulia teachers at the Dauli Demonstration Primary School last week.
Four Port Moresby-based curriculum officers led by principal curriculum adviser Steven Tandale, Regan Uri, Mirou Avosa and Adeyato Hahambu, were also flown in to provide training for the teachers.
Wesley Lakain, acting assistant secretary for curriculum division, who attended the launching, expressed his gratitude to the Moran landowners for prioritising education.
Mr Laikain said investing in the education of future generations from the proceeds of non renewable resources was the best investment undertaken by the MSPA and urged other landowners in the province to follow this example.
Hela OBE launching organiser Timon Hamono said since the education reform was introduced in the late 1990s, teachers in the Hela region had not received training and curriculum materials to implement the reform in their schools.
Mr Hamono blamed law and order, geographical location and a complete breakdown of Government services in the region for the last 10 years as the reason for the lack of implementation of OBE in Hela schools.
He said with the support of MSPA, teachers were now able to teach OBE programmes.
Dauli Demonsatration School principal Malapila Sale thanked MSPA and OBE trainers for their assistance and said Hela teachers would start teaching OBE programmes as soon as classes commence term four next week.
SHP education adviser Robert Rami also commended MSPA for prioritising the development of education and urged stake holders in the province to become partners in the development of future generations.
MSPA staff all through last week delivered OBE curriculum materials to the Tari Secondary school, Dauli, Wabia, Huluma, Tigibi,Beneria, Lomia, Beneria, Hogobe, Paua and Habare primary schools and their feeder elementary schools.
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