Literacy and non formal education in Papua New Guinea has and is being conducted by non-state actors. This report is about activities by one of the many non-government groups operating in the country.
Missionaries from the Christian Union Church (CUC) – with assistance from many locals – translated the Bible in one of Papua New Guinea’s 800-plus languages. In the process they started adult literacy classes for print illiterate adults. These classes are conducted at local congregations by local pastors.
The Mt Hagen CUC Adult Literacy Program was started by missionary couple Sandy and George Neil from the USA. After they left it was dormant for a while.
Women learning to read & write under the supervision of Missionary Couple Sandy & George Neil, Christian Union Church, Mt. Hagen, WHP PNG - 2004
Later the program was started by Pastor Dominic Waronald.He started his classes with Tokpisin for the adults and English for the children.
After graduating the adults in Tokpisin they continued with taking lessons in English. This arrangement is appreciated by the adults who have not attended school during their childhood days.
There is another notable program conducted by a pastor couple in the remote Jimi area of the Wes tern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. There is no road into this area. People reach town after walking on tracks for more than 6 hours or even more depending on the load they shoulder.
Pastor Joe Wane and his wife went to work as Pastors in this remote area. They realized that their members of the congregation were not able to read and write in any language. This was same for the whole community.
Pastor Joe went to Mt Hagen to discuss the illiteracy problem in the area with the Missionary as the people were not able to read and write in their own language or Tokpisin.
With assistance from the Missionary a literacy class was started. Fifteen women were enrolled of which 14 graduated after completing the course.
Pastor Joe Wane standing back left with his wife, Agnes right seated with the graduating students
Graduates inside their classroom. Standing in the background are, one of the locals, Joe Wane, Nicholas Nembo and Agnes Joe
The Director, National Literacy and Awareness Secretariat have been invited to attend the graduation. Mr. Nembo represented the Director and NLAS at the graduation.
The couple continues to conduct their literacy classes. Assistance of monetary and material are needed so much by state actors who commit themselves to literacy and awareness programs with scarce resources.
Their contact:
Pastor Joe Wane
Rulna Christian Union Church
Jimi District
P O Box 700
MT.HAGEN
Western Highlands Province
Literacy
“Literacy” is one of the biggest and the most difficult issues we are facing. UNESCO defines a “literate” as a person “who can with understanding both read and write a short simple statement on his/her everyday life.” There are many people who have the will to learn; nevertheless, they have little opportunity to access to basic education due to various reasons such as poverty, discrimination, conflict, etc.
As a result, they are unable to have skills for reading, writing and calculating, and we call them “illiterates.”
The NLAS can be contacted on: The Director, NLAS, NDOE, P O Box 446, WAIGANI, NCD.
Phone: 675 3442893, 675 3411295, Fax: 675 325 4152 or 675 325 4648; Email: mailto:nembo1nicholas@gmail.com