Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

140828 - MR - Improving access to quality education in the Eastern Highlands

28 August 2014

Improving access to quality education in the Eastern Highlands

New Australian-funded school facilities have been opened in Okapa District, Eastern Highlands, improving access to education for hundreds of boys and girls.

The facilities at Dr Alpers Memorial School include a fully furnished double classroom, office, teacher’s house, separate toilets for girls and boys and water tanks for improving water and sanitation.

“For a remote school, students and the community are very proud of the new facilities and we are taking ownership of them,” Head Teacher Oma Koka said.

“This is truly a blessing for students and the Ivingoi community with this gift from Australia.”

Dr Alpers Memorial School has about 430 enrolled students, of which 185 are girls.

Australia is helping to remove barriers to education access in PNG by building up to 1100 classrooms, of which 90 per cent will be in rural and
remote areas. Many have facilities including toilet blocks, which provide appropriate sanitation to encourage girls to attend and stay at school, and
ramps to improve access for disabled children.

Opening the facilities, Provincial Representative of the Australian High Commission Freddy Hombuhanje said all children, particularly girls and
those with disability should have the right to an education.

“That is why Australia is supporting new school facilities such as these at Dr Alpers Memorial School. We want to help Papua New Guinea in its efforts to provide all children with access to quality education,” Mr Hombuhanje said. Mr Hombuhanje commended the spirit of cooperation within the community which resulted in the new facilities.

“None of this would be possible without the support and the hard work of the community, the teachers and staff, the parents, the students and the
School Board of Management.

“We also acknowledge the hard work of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government, its Education Division and the local level government.”
The Australian Government has constructed a total of 220 classrooms across Papua New Guinea since 2012. Dr Alpers Memorial is one of the 20
schools in Eastern Highlands Province that received infrastructure support between 2012 and 2013.