Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Media Release 080906

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

8 September 2006

LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS FOR LIFE

 

The Australian Government is pleased to support the Government of PNG achieve its objective of making basic, quality elementary education accessible and affordable for all children.

This goal is in line with the theme of International Literacy Day 2006, ‘Literacy for Sustainable Development’. The head of the Australian Government’s aid program in PNG, Margaret Thomas, said that working together to fight illiteracy is one way to help the people of PNG participate more fully in society and access the benefits of development.

‘The ability to read and write opens new horizons for people, their families and their communities. We are working closely with the PNG Government and other stakeholders to provide all children with a basic education that enables them to be literate, numerate and equipped with skills for life,’ Ms Thomas said.

Over the last ten years, this partnership has seen the number of children enrolling in schools more than double, an increase in the number of girls enrolling in schools, improvement in teacher training, and increasing numbers of children from poorer rural areas entering high schools.

Late last month, the Manus Provincial Administration took delivery of classrooms, dormitories, and teachers’ accommodation that had been rebuilt and refitted under AusAID’s Manus Schools Upgrading Project (MSUP).

Rehabilitation of the facilities at three primary schools and three high schools has assisted the provincial government to implement its development plans for education.

An important aspect of MSUP was improvements made to boarding facilities for females in efforts to allow for more girls to have access to education.

Notes to Editor – Australia’s support to literacy
• AusAID is the Australian Government’s overseas aid program.
• Under the Education Capacity Building Program (ECBP), support is provided to strengthen the capacity of education systems at national, provincial and district levels to achieve quality improvements in education service delivery.
• ECBP is a ten-year project valued at around $100 million for its first five years.
• Phase one of ECBP commenced in 2004.

Media contact: Anna Awasa, Communications Officer, Ph: 325 9333 ext 304.