Teachers college educates students about marine conservation

TWENTY-FIVE third-year students from the Madang Teachers College underwent training in marine education recently.
Science lecturer Charlie Koss, who facilitated the training, said that targeting groups in the education system would help promote marine conservation in Papua New Guinea.
“Teaching this course to future primary school teachers will give them the confidence.
“With a greater appreciation for nature, and in-depth knowledge they need to take the lead in teaching about marine conservation in our primary schools,” Koss said.
He said the aim of the programme was to help the aspiring primary school teachers to have a foundation in basic marine biology.
Ecology, marine management and conservation, ecosystem connectivity, and climate change.
Students also took part in practical fieldwork that involved planting mangroves along the coastline of Riwo village and snorkelling near Tabad Island to conduct a basic assessment of different marine species and habitats.
This was the second group of 25 students who were selected from a pool of 300 to be trained at the college.
Using materials from the Marine Environment Education Programme (MEEP) guide developed in 2019 by the local non-governmental organisation Mahonia Na Dari with support from USAid.
The Meep programme was initially piloted in West New Britain and eventually integrated into their primary school curriculum.
Through the USAid PNG Lukautim Graun programme assistance, the Meep teachers’ guide was trialled at the college and piloted in primary schools throughout Madang, integrating conservation with education.