Teacher helps illiterate

 A TEACHER is helping adults who have never been to school learn to read and write.

Primary school teacher Ronarec Ronga teaches at the Alawe Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School in Havitana, a remote area of Rigo in Central. 

During weekends, he teaches locals who have never been to school how to read and write.

Ronga said literacy was important for social and economic development and his initiative would help people of Havitana who were illiterate. 

“I see the importance of literacy on the people,” he said.

“Therefore, apart from my teaching career, I spend the weekends to teach people how to read and write. It is the need of the people and I must feed them.”

He said national indicators revealed that literacy levels in PNG were very low compared to other Pacific island countries and should be a concern for Papua New Guineans.

“I do this as a learning opportunity for the people of Havitana who had no access to the formal education system,” he said.

He wants to get the people educated with basic numeracy and literacy skills. 

“I want them to know how to read so that they can read the Bible and understand,” 

he said.

He said most people attending his class were in their 30s who had never been to school or were pushed out of the school system.

Ronga said people in remote areas should be equipped with basic literacy skills.

He urged others to take up the initiative wherever they live.

His “students” are expected to be given certificates in basic numeracy and literacy skills at the end of the year.