Sacred Heart Secondary School in Tapini, Central Province, a top 20 performing school, opened its new Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory today (Friday 28 Feb).
The fully equipped laboratory was built with support from the Papua New Guinea – Australia Partnership.
It was officially opened by Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis along with the Hon. William Samb MP and His Eminence, Cardinal Sir John Ribat MSC.
Speaking during the opening, Mr Davis emphasised the importance of ensuring schools have the resources needed to facilitate their learning and a conducive space to learn in.
“In an increasingly technology-driven and interconnected world, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics skills are more important than ever to driving innovation and supporting economic growth and prosperity. This is especially true for girls and women who are seeking to increase their participation in a sector which, traditionally, they have been under-represented,” said Mr Davis.
He said, “Secondary schools and National High Schools hold particular importance in Papua New Guinea as they are essential sites for developing leaders and contributing to nation building in the country.”
Sacred Heart Secondary School Board Charmaine Fr Brian Cahill thanked the Australian government for funding the construction of the lab which he says will greatly benefit the students.
“The students, teachers, parents and community are very excited and very fortunate to be assisted in this way. This new lab with its equipment will help us to give a better education to our students and prepare them for the modern workforce and beyond,” Fr Cahill said.
Sacred Heart Secondary School has 380 students and 24 teachers and is located in one of the remote areas of Central province, only accessible by air.
The school was ranked in the top 20 performing schools in PNG in 2019.
Supporting the construction of the laboratory demonstrates Australia’s continuous support to improving the quality of education in PNG.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100