B’ville leaders called to invest more in education

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville should have an educated population in order to become a successful independent nation, says a local MP.
South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu said leaders should invest more in education. He was speaking as he opened five new classroom buildings in his electorate last week.
He said it was his vision to invest in education in order to bridge the gap of the lost generation as a consequence of the Bougainville crisis, while at the same time nurture and prepare young Bougainvilleans to be leaders of an independent state.
Since entering Parliament in a by-election in 2016, Masiu said he had invested heavily in developing education infrastructures and tuition-fee support for tertiary students because he wanted South Bougainville students to be given every opportunity to be well educated.
Pastor David Pumau, from Iruh in Siwai, said the classroom was the nerve centre of learning.
He said from the classroom would emerge people who would manage the region’s rich resources, become doctors and educationists.
Masiu, who is also the Opposition deputy leader, returned to his electorate last week after the budget session to a busy work schedule, opening five new classroom projects, a roadside market and attended reconciliations and gun summits as well as presenting financial assistance for more classroom buildings.
Three of the five classrooms and a roadside market were funded through the district support improvement programme (DSIP) funds. Two classrooms and staff houses were funded through Australian aid.