National Teacher Training Program Concludes in Hela Province

The provision of early childhood education in Hela province has improved following the graduation of 249 elementary teachers from the province. The teachers were part of KTF’s Teach for Tomorrow project; a two-year national teacher training program that is a partnership between Australian NGO, KTF, the National Department of Education and various provincial departments of education.

It was successfully rolled out in Hela Province through generous funding from the Oil Search Foundation (OSF) and ExxonMobil PNG.

 “The project has been a tremendous undertaking by all the partners and an enormous success,” said KTF CEO, Dr Genevieve Nelson.

 “Teachers that have completed their training under Teach for Tomorrow are responsible for the education of over 130,000 children, mainly in the remote and rural areas of PNG. They are our local, unsung heroes.”

 OSF’s Executive Director, Stephanie Copus-Campbell said that “Oil Search Foundation understands the value of successful partnerships to realising achievements at the community level. Teach for Tomorrow is another example of how we come together for one common goal, and that is to improve the lives of people living in the remotest parts of the country.”

To date, Teach for Tomorrow has supported and trained 3,685 elementary teachers across 14 provinces in Papua New Guinea. Working closely with provincial governments, local communities, schools, churches and trainers, the partnership has now delivered the final instalment of training to partially-trained teachers in Oro, Gulf, Milne Bay, Morobe, Manus, New Ireland, Simbu, Central, Sandaun, Enga, Southern Highlands and Hela Provinces, NCD, and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

ExxonMobil PNG Community Development Support and National Content Manager Sisa Kini thanked KTF for recognising teachers in rural communities by building their capacity so they can further provide quality education to young children. “A large percentage of our people live in rural communities, through KTFs program we hope we can set a better foundation for children’s education in these communities.”

The completion of the nationwide training program was made possible through a consortium of donors including representatives from the private sector, philanthropists, the PNG Government and the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

 “We are so grateful to every individual and organisation that has supported Teach for Tomorrow since 2016,” said Dr Nelson. “These partnerships are an example what is possible when the private, NGO and public sectors collaborate.”

 The elementary teachers are now undergoing their final certification process and will be eligible for Government payroll positions from next year.