Cosmas’ return from expulsion

National
Cosmas when he was working as a static guard with Guard Dog Security in Lae. – Picture supplied

By LORRAINE JIMAL
DESPITE being expelled in the eighth grade and struggling over the years to complete his education, Cosmas Nausi Hulakawa graduated recently with a degree in education.
The 43-year-old said while he had made mistakes, faced many challenges and missed opportunities over the years, his resolve to prove his worth and make something of himself had seen him persevere to achieve his goal of earning a tertiary qualification.
“I came through the hardest way and really wanted to prove the system of termination wrong,” he said.
“My advice to all the head teachers, principals and school leaders in all the schools nationwide, do not expel students when they misbehave.
“Use proactive approaches as a way forward to deal with student behaviour to address discipline problems in school.
“I know very well that teaching is not a job but it is a vacation and a noble profession.
“I believe education plays a significant role in shaping and moulding young people to become builders and leaders of this country; to bring the country forward to the next level in years to come,” the man from Hawain in Dagua, Wewak, East Sepik, said.
Hulakawa proved his termination was not the end of his education journey but only a detour and an event that spurred him on to eventually gain a bachelor’s degree in education majoring in leadership and training from Papua New Guinea Education Institute.
The Parom native has experienced a long and arduous trek in his education which has taken him from one end of the country to another. But this has only made him more determined to continue to improve himself and those under his charge.
He started his education at Mongniol Primary School, Wewak, in 1986 and completed sixth grade at Hawain Primary School in 1992. He was then selected to Maprik High School to do grade seven and eight.

Cosmas Nausi Hulakawa after receiving his leadership and training bachelor’s degree at the Papua New Guinea Education Institute’s graduation last month.

However, peer pressure led him astray and alcohol consumption and general misbehaviour saw him expelled in grade eight.
Hulakawa struggled to secure a space in other schools due his previous expulsion record.
He stayed home for a year and helped his parents gardening and saved money for his fees. He also engaged in sports and community-oriented activities to keep out of trouble.
He enrolled in the Flexible Open Distance Learning (Fode) in the province and taking an additional motor mechanic course in 1996.
“I set my goals and focused on them and at last I achieved it through perseverance, hard work, sacrifice, time and commitment. I want to share with those who think that they have no purpose in life and cannot make use of second chances.
“I never gave up and completed my grade 10 in 2001 at Hawain vocational centre Fode and became one of the top five Fode students and was selected to Passam National High School (outside Wewak) in 2002.”
Despite that Hulakawa was unable to attend Passam because of a lack of finances and instead left for Lae in search of other opportunities staying with relatives in Bumbu settlement.
“The settlement life was difficult to cope with however, I simply humbled myself and accepted the lifestyle and fitted in well.”
He enrolled at the University of Technology through its Department of Open and Distance Learning’s (DODL) adult matriculation and studied for two years while working as a guard.
“I served in various locations in Lae city and its outskirts. I only earned K168 a fortnight. The pay was not good but I managed the little I made. I worked for two years with Guard Dog Security in Lae from 2006 to 2007.”
His next educational foray would take him to Goroka Technical College in 2008 to take up business studies but again these plans were abandoned early on when funding became an issue and he move to East New Britain looking for a better opportunity.
He worked for the East New Britain provincial works division as a casual labourer cutting grass along the roadside, cleaning drains and other minor civil work.
“I worked as a casual labourer with the department of works for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.”
Hulakawa had a desire to be involved in the teaching profession. He sponsored himself to Our Lady of the Secret Heart Teachers College (OLSH) before moving on to Kabaleo Teachers College in Rabaul in 2012.
During his final year of study in 2013, the Central province’s appointment team came to Kabaleo to recruit teachers.
He was one of the teachers selected to teach in schools in Central and travelled to Port Moresby after graduating in 2013.
He taught as a base level teacher in Kamali Primary School in Rigo for six months and later transferred to Gabagaba, also in Central. He was later posted to Ginigolo Gunugau primary school in the same province.
After serving for three years (2015 to 2017) at Ginigolo Gunugau, he was promoted to be head teacher of Manugoro Primary School in Gaire village along the Magi Highway in 2018.
“I was the head teacher and taught for two years at Manugoro from 2018 to 2019.”
In 2019 he also enrolled at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) through the open college as an undergraduate to do a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in professional studies in education.
He however left that and did a BA programme majoring in education (school leadership and management) at the Papua New Guinea Education Institute (PNGEI).
Hulakawa plans to pursue his professional studies in education degree at UPNG.
“I am happy to be a teacher. I will continue to strive. I will not give up. My next course of action is to get my masters and Ph.D.”