BOUGAINVILLE EDUCATION : PANGUNA SCHOOLS HOLD MINI EXPO

 

PANGUNA DISTRICT RUNS MINI EDUCATION EXPO

 

Students attending Panguna, Dapera and Buiana primary schools at the closing of the mini education expo in Panguna. Picture by JOSEPH IENU

BY JACOB IENU

“BE the agent of change to bring hope to the hopeless” is the theme of a very successful two days Panguna mini education expo last week.

In a first of its kind in the Panguna district and Bougainville as a whole, the expo was to promote values and importance of education and the responsibilities on parents, students, teachers and administrators.

It was made possible through collaboration between the Panguna district administration headed by Gerard Takusy and Panguna district education office headed by David Kamuka and other stake holders in Panguna.

Panguna is in the Ioro Constituency and the three primary schools, Panguna, Dapera and Buiana all participated in the expo.

The speakers highlighted the importance of education including career pathways for students to have better insights when they’re in school learning about different professions.

The students were urged to study hard to gain more knowledge.

In the pre-independence era, Panguna was the only gold and copper company that played a major part in Papua New Guinea's foreign exchange earnings. 

But a bloody Civil War in the nineties, sparked by the mine itself, its operation by Rio Tinto's BCL arm, and ownership issues, led to the mines closure.

Following peace and reconciliation and an overwhelming referendum for independence from PNG, Bougainvilleans are taking the final steps to self rule, expected in 2027.

Panguna mine still remains closed but its people are slowly rebuilding their lives. 

The main sponsor of the expo was  Panguna Gold Exchange (PGE) headed by Sylvester Birou. 

Mr Birou said PGE will support Education sector to help develop the human resource in Ioro constituency and in Panguna district with plans to expand beyond.

Mr Birou said the PGE has a long term plan to work with the authorities to help develop education to build human resources in Panguna and Bougainville as a whole.