Papua New Guinea: Pioneers in a language school

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Forwarded from edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu

Papua New Guinea: Pioneers in a language school

Pioneers in a language school
West Sepik tackles its language barrier in an innovative way. SINCLAIRE
SOLOMON reports

http://www.thenational.com.pg/031706/w5.htm

JANET Yauton returns to Papua New Guinea in two years time hopefully a
fluent Bahasa Indonesia speaker and teacher who will be able to teach the
language at her school. Right now Ms Yauton and seven of her male
colleagues have enrolled at Singaraja Institute of Teachers Training and
Education in Bali for the two- year degree course in Bahasa Indonesia. All
are teachers at various high schools and vocational schools in West Sepik
(Sandaun) province, with the exception of Bonny Kaiyo who is from West
Sepik but based at Madang Teachers' College. Ms Yauton is a teacher at
Aitape Vocational Centre and the only woman in the group. They are
pioneers in a project put together by the Sandaun division of education
and Dr Johannes Esomar, culture and education attaché at the Indonesian
Embassy in Port Moresby.

The idea is to train more local teachers to teach the Indonesia language
at high schools to prepare the students for further studies in Indonesia
should the opportunity arise. In 2004, 16 Sandaun students took short
courses at vocational and technical schools in Jayapura, Papua Province,
however, the problem faced was getting a clear grasp of the language to
understand technical terms. Secondly, they faced difficulties applying
what they had learned because of lack of finance. Both the Sandaun
division of education and Dr Esomar felt that rather than continue with
this futile exercise, it was better to train teachers, thus the first
batch of pioneer teachers who left Vanimo for Singaraja two weeks ago.
With Ms Yauton and Mr Kaiyo were Libert Wani (Yimbrassi Vocational Centre,
Nuku district); Lawrence Kowopiai (Amanab Vocational Centre); Mark Gammis
(Green River High School); Canute Senda (St Ignatius Secondary School,
Aitape); and Simon Emil (Lumi High School). The Indonesian Government is
funding the bulk of the scholarship which is exclusively for Sandaun
teachers, in the interim at least. It is hoped that as graduate Bahasa
Indonesia teachers they would also teach other teachers, conduct outside
classes, and may be find teaching positions in the much talked about but
yet-to- be-started joint border trade schools at Skouw, the Indonesian
border town near Wutung. Many west coast villagers in Sandaun are fluent
in the Indonesian language through cross-border traditional links and
movement, but it is a different story at schools and among teachers.

Notes Sandaun education advisor Australian Frank Evans in Jayapura two
weeks ago when farewelling his teachers: "I feel embarrassed to be able to
stand here in Indonesia and not speak the language". Says PNG Consul in
Jayapura, Jeffrey Tauloube: "English is an important language but it is
equally important that we learn at least one regional language. In the
case of Indonesia, we must do our part in furthering our relations and
meet them half way, learn their language". Mr Tauloube admits that after
two years at his post, his command of the language is not as good as he
would like it however to the students, he said: "You going to study the
language is one more milestone in the relationships between our two
countries. Show how grateful you are to the Indonesian Government by doing
a good job, not for yourself but also for Papua New Guinea".

Such was the importance of this pioneer programme that Deputy Secretary
for Education, Damien Rapese accompanied the teachers to Jayapura where
they formalised arrangements for their studies. Work commitments prevented
Mr Rapese from travelling on to Bali with the students and the PNG consul
for the students' induction. However, he told the teachers in Jayapura
that their two-year study will fulfill one of the aims of the 2004
National Education Plan - achieving a better future through human
resources development. This latest programme is part of Indonesian
Government scholarships which have been offered to Papua New Guineans
since 2003. They include Undergraduate degree programme (four years);
social work/welfare (four years); vocational and technical education
(four-five years); Non-Aligned Movement master degree scholarship (three
years); Dharmassiswa RI programme (one year); and Southwest Pacific
Dialogue scholarship (three months).

According to Dr Esomar, more than 50 Papua New Guineans are recipients of
these various programmes offered by his government.
In the meantime, focus as far as Sandaun is concerned is on its pioneer
teachers in Bali. Says Deputy Secretary Rapese to them on the eve of their
departure: "My challenge to you is to come back with flying colours".