Teachers are PNG’s foundation

CONGRATULATIONS to all teachers of the national education system on your appointments to teaching positions for the 2024 academic year.
You are all fortunate to have secured teaching positions.
You are now relieved to settle and perform your duties.
Unfortunately, many colleagues will remain displaced.
Displacements are stressful.
This is the last thing teachers expect to see happening in their professional lives.
Displacements happen for many reasons.
Foremost, because of not being faithful in teaching.
Qualifications issues could be another. And mere oversights in appointments could be as well, probable.
Teachers know the reasons for displacements. But these reasons are not revealed. Instead, they point their guilty fingers at appointment authorities.
Authorities can do not go on a displacement spree. PEBs are advised by school leaders such as head teachers, BOMs, church agency representatives and inspectors.
These public servants are on the ground. They monitor each teacher’s performances and report accordingly. Based on such reports, authorities make decisions.
Unlike before, teaching positions these days are limited and demanding. This is due to an influx of new graduates from teacher education facilities.
Displacements will continue to be experienced for many years. Many teachers will not have opportunities to secure teaching positions unless more are created.
To avoid unnecessary displacements, teachers must embrace their positions. Be loyal to their jobs and work hard to achieving good outcomes.
Never take teaching for granted.
Your positions mean your lives. It is these positions that feed you and your families.
Imagine the amount of stress you will go through once you are displaced, and eventually suspended from payroll.
When you receive salaries, you walked wide-chested with consistent betelnut-chewing and puffing of cigarettes. Once you go off the payroll, your body will shrink and your posture changed.
The situation is worst when you have loans to repay and kids’ school fees to pay. You will be outrageous. But that will all be too late.
So, as they say, prevention is better than cure. Love your jobs, be faithful, work hard and make a difference in your lives and that of the kids before you.
Even if you are posted to remote schools, know that out of the many, you are the luckiest to have been appointed.
Remote areas are part of Papua New Guinea. They host the natural beauties of the country. These communities need your services. You will be looked upon as persons of prominence.
You will not only be seen as a teacher. People will see you as a jack-of-all trade – medical officer, law enforcer, evangelist, land mediator and a government officer.
When they have problems, they will come to you. They will expect you to lend your assistance. This is where you will display your empathy and quality of leadership.
Papua New Guinea is our home. We do not have a second home. This is where the bones of our forefathers are laid and so will be ours.
PNG is a developing nation. It’s struggling to go by far with the changing times.
Its prosperity depends on the human resources we produce today.
So, teachers, embrace your positions, be loyal to your jobs and serve our country with pride.

Steven Koya
Koalillombo village
Kagua, SHP