Trainee teachers farewelled

ERIMA Primary School in Madang last Friday farewelled 30 trainees from Madang Teachers’ College who had been there for six weeks of practical teaching.
Students and staff showed their appreciation to the trainees with gifts and said their goodbyes over food and drinks.
In return, the trainee teachers gave stationery and sports equipment to the students.
The leader of the trainee teachers, Martin Joseph, said the 14 men and 16 women in the group  were sad to leave but were happy to
have been a part of the students’ lives.
Joseph said that the training programme gave him more confidence and he learnt a lot of new things.
“I learnt that I have to be accommodating to different students. I place the short-sighted students in front and enlarged my handwriting on the board,” he said.
“I also put the hearing-impaired students in front and tended to speak much more loudly and clearly than usual.”
Erima Primary School head teacher Agoa Kivoni thanked the trainee teachers for their help.
The school has  530 students.
“We are privileged and happy to have the trainee teachers and we are looking forward to having the next lot for next year,” Kivoni said.
She said each class at the school was allocated two trainee teachers who taught under the guidance of the class senior teacher.
Head boy Ignatius Awan said he was grateful to the trainee teachers and said that the students were able to learn better under them.
The students of Madang Teachers College started their practical teaching in July.
They were sent out to different primary schools in Madang, where they were accommodated in staff houses.