Focus on building links with Australian schools

DURING his visit to Australia last week, Prime Minister James Marape visited Cherrybrook School in New South Wales, one of Australia’s highest performing schools.
Marape talked about how Papua New Guinea was approaching the challenges of ensuring access to high quality education for all students, and how the Papua New Guinea-Australia partnership could work with PNG Government to achieve this ambition.
The visit was also an opportunity to discuss a new joint education initiative, announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Marape after the inaugural PNG-Australia Leaders’ Dialogue on July 22.
The new PNG-Australia Partnership Secondary Schools Initiative will strengthen enduring education linkages between both countries.
It will pair Papua New Guinean and Australian secondary schools to build education and leadership skills and deepen people-to-people and institutional links.
The initiative, worth nearly K23 million over three years (2019-2021), would connect Papua New Guinean and Australian students, teachers, principals and education authorities to better prepare future generations to thrive in a technology-driven and globally interconnected 2st century.
The initiative would support 12 secondary schools in PNG to partner with 12 schools in Australia, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and youth leadership.
Further information on the new initiative, including information on an official launch, will be provided when activities and schools are determined.