Schools get cell phones

By JASON GIMA WURI
TEACHERS in Central will be allocated mobile phones by the provincial government.
This is an initiative of its education division to improve communication with schools and districts.
Central Governor Alphonse Moroi launched the “Mobile phones to schools in Central” programme last Wednesday at the Iobuna Kouba Primary School.
Teachers, students and district education superintendents from all districts in Central attended.
Moroi said Central was pioneering the programme at a cost of K60,000.
“This programme is to help facilitate the movement of teachers so they can be better serviced in terms of communication and administration,” he said.
“Important devices like mobile phones will help teachers so that they do not leave school for towns in search of pay cheques and materials.”
Provincial education adviser Titus Hatagen, who presented the mobile phone packages to district education superintendents, said it was time to improve education services in PNG and Central was setting the pace.
“There needs to be effective communication among the schools, districts and the division office so that there can be proper collaboration,” he said.
“We need to jointly provide effective development and service to work together as a team.”
Hatagen said communication was a cross-cutting issue and the governor had decided to bring in the mobile phones to help improve services for his people at the right time.
Hatagen said in two weeks, solar panels would be set up in 48 schools across Rigo, Abau and Kairuku districts following assistance from the government and people of Germany.