6 April 2011

For immediate release

Top of the Class: English textbook of choice bound for PNG schools 

Matilda Dimo took two years off from teaching to help coordinate the production of an English resource book for her Year 9 students, at a school in the highlands of Simbu.

The book started as handwritten classroom notes in a two-ring binder until it was handed over to the Simbu Teachers Association for further development.

Little did she realise that the PNG Department of Education would nominate her textbook as the preferred English textbook for all Grade 9 English in PNG.

The cover of the textbook features Mt Elimbari, an impressive mountain in the Chuave District of PNG’s Simbu Province.

“It is symbolic,” explained Ms Dimo. “We wanted a picture that told students to strive high, to reach their potential.”

“Seeing this printed and on the back of a truck headed for schools has really given us the boost to put into book form texts for grades 10 through to 12,” said Ms Dimo.

As a further boost to Ms Dimo and the Simbu Teachers Association’s work, the Australian Government has purchased 28 000 of the textbooks and will distribute them to every grade 9 class across the country, as part of its aid program to PNG.

All up, Australia plans to purchase and deliver 4.1 million textbooks to schools across PNG by 2015.

“The long hours, the many nights up have paid off,” said Godfrey Yerua, First Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Standards with the PNG Department of Education.

“We have shown the outside world, PNG teachers are committed and can do this with a little help.”

“It’s a journey,” said Ms Dimo of the textbook. “This is just one subject and one grade, but it’s a start and we are showing other teachers and other provinces, you can adapt the curriculum for your students and put it into a local context. Yes it’s just the start, but it’s a good start.”