Union gives K4mil worth of textbooks

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
SCHOOL text books and curriculum materials donated by donor partner, European Union (EU) to schools in Bougainville at a value of K4 million is set to be distributed throughout the autonomous region in the next 50 days by contractor Treid Pacific Ltd.
The donation of books to Bougainville is a portion of the K80 million worth of EU text books presented to the state last year for schools throughout the country.
According to Department of Education representative Hatsie Mirou, the books which had been lying idle in containers for almost a year.
Mirou said, the books  needed to be distributed to the children of Bougainville, who are the rightful beneficiaries of the donation.
“The books are already in the region and let us take ownership of them.
“Communities and schools must take ownership of taking care of the books.
“Teachers in schools have a tendency of moving curriculum materials from one school to another when they are relocating. That is not good and I discourage this practice,” she said.
She urged standard officers of the division to ensure the contractor distributes the books to all schools in the region successfully within the 50-day period required.
Autonomous Bou­gainville Government (ABG) acting chief administrator Kamariki Puara thanked the people of Europe, through EU, for their kind support.
“This is a gesture of the good relationship we, the people of Bougainville and EU,  have developed over the years.
“We may have the best classrooms and teachers, but without the materials, what can we do?” Puara said, in emphasising the need for books and curriculum materials in students’ learning.
He added that ABG budget only concentrated on physical projects and infrastructures and to have donor support such as EU supplements the ABG budget.
“Challenge is on us to ensure the delivery of materials to our schools,” Puara said.