Exxon, Central ink deal for school board training

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By NAOMI WASE
ExxonMobil PNG has signed a funding agreement with the Central government to help with school boards of management training.
The training programme will use a manual developed by Esmie Sinapa Development Consultants aimed at improving school board governance and leadership capabilities of board of management from schools near the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant.
ExxonMobil has given K300,000 to help deliver the programme over the next two years  which will include training of trainers,  monitoring and evaluation.
The company’s country manager Andrew Barry said the partnership started in 2015 to enhance the role and efforts in the schools around the plant site.
“Our common goal to improve the quality of education provided by these schools drive us to embark on what I feel a unique partnership pulling together the strengths from each other,” Barry said.
He said partnerships of the private sector, government, schools and community were critical to maximising educational opportunities.
“Strong leadership by school boards is critical to ensuring that the schools remain open and perform to the best of their ability.”
Central administrator Gei Guni Raga thanked ExxonMobil and Esmie Sinapa Development Consultants for the manual.
“We (Central) will embrace this programme and give our full support,” Raga said.
Main facilitator Esmie Sinapa said 52 boards of management members from four schools and 132 community facilitators had contributed to the formation of the manual.