A school in Wairavanua, on the Aroma Coast in Central Province, PNG, is proving that commitment and perseverance make a huge difference when it comes to getting an education.
Wairavanua Primary School has recently opened a new double classroom and a teacher's residence, which were funded by AusAID at a cost of around 200,000 kina. The new classroom is a major advance on their old building, which had to be abandoned because it was in a state of complete disrepair.
Indeed, as Headmaster David Wamala explained, it is the fourth location for the school. The first buildings were built very close to the beach in 1962. These buildings lasted 22 years, before a decision was made to move away from the deteriorating impact of the ocean.
In 1974 the school moved inland to an area which was later found to be flood prone. So in 1976, the school was moved back to the village, but further away from the beach than previously. Since then, the school buildings, and indeed many village houses, have suffered from more flooding. Changes in the environment mean that the ocean now washes through the area on a monthly basis.
"The water would be up to your knee," said Mr Wamala. As a former student of the school himself, Mr Wamala recalls that the sporting ground was once covered in grass. Now, it is only sand and dirt.
Mr Wamala, who has been teaching at the school for 10 years, said that the problems with the buildings have often had an impact on attendance rates. "Numbers fluctuated because of the poor buildings," he said.
However this has turned around in the last few years, mostly because of the quality of education which the students are getting despite the classroom conditions.
In 2008, 40 grade eight students from Wairavanua sat the exam to enter lower secondary school. And 40 students scored the required 75 per cent or more. In 2009, 28 students sat the exam and 26 qualified.
"I'm very proud of that," said Mr Wamala. At the same time, he thinks that the new classroom will lead to even better results for the students.
"The kind of building they are in disadvantages their performance. They have the capacity to perform better–they just need a better environment," he said.
Along with the new buildings, the school will also benefit from another AusAID-funded program to supply maths, science and English textbooks for years 6,7 and 8 students to each of PNG's 3,400 primary schools.
These kinds of improvements have helped to boost the reputation of the school. Enrolment numbers have improved, especially since the good performance of the students became widely known. "When parents heard that the students had performed very well, they started to enrol their children here," said Mr Wamala.
The new buildings are increasing interest further. Mr Wamala said he has had calls from parents in other villages and even from local people who have children in school in Port Moresby.
"They want to come back. They have seen we have something good," he said.
Mr Wamala, said the strong community support and the commitment by the students has been a real achievement, and the students understand that their future is promising.
"They are excited to be leaving the old building. And they are very excited to be moving into the new building," he said.
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