B’ville education board sworn in

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
EDUCATION services in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville are expected to improve following the swearing in of the Bougainville Education Board on Tuesday.
Thirteen members from a wide section of the Bougainville community, including churches and the national government, have been tasked with aligning Bougainville’s education system with the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s vision for autonomy.
ABG Vice-President Patrick Nisira said the board must be aggressive in seeking to deliver ABG’s aspiration of quality education for the people of the region.
“Having the vision of autonomy in mind, I challenge you, when do you intend to establish Bougainville’s first university, technical colleges and other key institutions like teachers and nursing colleges. Autonomy without key education institutions cannot work,” Nisira said.
He said the Bougainville Education Board must anticipate changes and steer the region’s education sector in the right direction.
He said Bougainville’s education sector was one of the worst functioning sectors in the region.
“I would like to see a radical change from the position we are in to a more vibrant education system,” Nisira said.
He said he was honoured to be the first Bougainville vice-president to swear in a board after the Bougainville executive council endorsed the appointment of the board members.
“This is a historic occasion as for the first time BEC has appointed a board using the draw-down of some powers and functions of education from the national government to ABG,” he said.