More than 500 elementary school teachers in Chimbu getting trained

Highlands

MORE than 500 out of 2000 elementary school teachers in Chimbu are currently undergoing a workshop which ends next month.
Governor Michael Du, who visited the participants recently, urged them to maintain their identity as teachers.
He said elementary teachers were building blocks and the foundation of the country.
“It is vital to maintain your identity as teachers by performing in the classroom,” Dua said.
Dua, also the former provincial elementary schools coordinator, said he was proud of elementary teachers who were now coping with reforms in the country’s education system.
“You  are employed formally and on  a  regular  salary,  hence  children’s  early learning  is  vital  and must  be  taken  care  of  critically.”
The teachers are attending a six-week course on multi-grade and self-instructional unit (SIU) training.
Dua said negotiation was underway with the Education Department to ensure those elementary teachers were put on the payroll.
Provincial elementary teacher training coordinator, Janet Parape Ilai said according to the department, this would be the final multi-grade and SIU training for the Certificate in Elementary Teaching (CET) at the provincial level.
She said all new intakes for elementary training would have to attend training at the PNG Education Institute in Port Moresby and other teachers college from next year.
Ilai said although time was insufficient, students were encouraged to continue putting their best efforts into completing their SIUs.
Chimbu and a few other provinces are currently conducting elementary teacher training.