Literacy competition extends into rural areas

The organising committee of a writing competition has extended it to the rural areas for the first time this year to try to improve the literacy levels of students there.
The competition’s committee member, Gretel Matawan, said children in remote schools were disadvantaged compared to those in the urban centres.
She visited Southern Highlands, Hela and Gulf a few weeks ago as part of the Crocodile Prize Competition and found that the students there struggled with writing.
She said that unlike in urban schools, pupils in rural schools had very different stories
to tell based on their learning environment.
Mineral and Resource Development Company arranged Matawan’s travel to Kikori in Gulf, and Semberigi in Southern Highlands.
Matawan said she visited  Kikori Secondary School, Gobe Agriculture High School, Don Mosely and Wemi Primary to encourage students and teachers to participate in the competition, named after the book Crocodile by the late
former  Governor-General Sir Vincent Eri.
“I am thankful for the opportunity given by MRDC to take the competition out to rural schools,” she said.
“They are still struggling to get basic material like library books and text books.”