Caption: PAU VC Dr Ben Thomas
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, August 23, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
THAT was the striking contrast given by Pacific Adventist University (PAU) Vice Chancellor Dr Ben Thomas of the trends in the economic, social and technological environments today in the country.
This was said during his welcome address for delegates that attended the 2015 National Adult Literacy Summit held this week at the PAU campus outside of Port Moresby.
His comments were that with the change in society, the demand to be able to read and write now has become more imperative than ever that it affects generations also.
“I am sure in your workshop you will talk about the facts with lots of research done which will show the correlation between income levels and literacy,” Dr Thomas said.
“People are struggling to get employment. You see, when you can’t read or write it creates a whole bunch of problems, but let me say that the problem is getting worse.”
“20 years ago it was a lesser issue than it is today, because if you read your papers on Friday last week the country launched officially GoPNG, the government online portal. Now PNG is moving in the same direction as other governments are. If you go to Singapore all work with government is done online. You can’t get your pension, you can’t do anything, and you can’t get health services unless you do it online.”
Thomas pointed out that every system around the world are moving online- adding that even the basic things that could do without being literate before cannot be done.
“You cannot call somebody and say can I talk to somebody at the department of education and can you please help me with such and such.”
“Their response will be that it is on their website for you to go and see and they will hang up the phone.”
“There are companies in the world today where they don’t have a physical presence and office that you can go to. Everything is just done online.”
“How does a person work in that world if they can’t read or write, and so as you are meeting here today pull out the reading materials you have and start to appreciate the privilege you have to be able to read and write. And let’s find some ways in how we can assist other to have that privilege.”
He said the issue of adult literacy is a real and serious issue, and hoped as a result of the summit life will be made easier for a large group of Papua New Guineans who are in the situation.
“We may think that this issue only affects the current generation but let me ask you this. If a parent is illiterate- we have already established that it has an impact on their income levels. That means that they are going to be below average generally speaking,” he added.
“Now that they earn below average. How do you think that they are going to fund their children’s education? Those earning below average are struggling to pay for their children’s education and everything that come with providing that.”
“What happens is that this issue goes to the next generation. It might not be literacy for the next generation, but it certainly means that those children start off with a reduced education which then has the same impact as having a illiteracy issue.”
“And so it goes from generation to generation unless that cycle is broken. We need to do everything, particularly as a Christian nation to ensure that we give everybody a fair opportunity.”
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