Adult literacy teachers need more government support

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, August 23, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

ADULT literacy trainer Henson Pato hopes that the government will look at directly supporting adult literacy trainers.

Mr Pato has been an adult literacy trainer for Anglicare PNG for 14 years since 2001.

He said that the problem is real and the work they do is beneficial not only to the individual that receive literacy skill but for the country as a whole in addressing social issues that arise in communities.

Pato currently coordinates an adult literacy program for the Central Province and NCD, in the Kairuku Hiri electorate through adult literacy schools in Kivori and Waima, and four schools in NCD in the Moresby North East Electorate.

“At the moment we have around 300 students in the program I run, but when I include the other Pom centers there are 579 students in class right now,” Pato said.

“We have 12 volunteer teachers and also we have staff of 6 who are currently paid under Anglicare PNG CPP Program and those teachers are normally supported monthly and they are right in the villages.”

Attending the National Adult Literacy Summit 2015, Pato made a call during an interview for support in the sector through recommendations in the summit.

“This will help with our literacy programs because we see that the demand is very high in the rural areas, and the teachers need to be seriously looked at and supported,” he stated.

“At the moment some of them are on some of the lowest payments like K10 per week in some instances almost to a point that they are volunteers.”

“Even I as a trainer I train adult literacy teachers who are grade 10 or 12 dropouts but when they see that there is not enough support they leave and quit. So then the situation of illiteracy continues.”

“So when there is recognition for some of the recommendations we make here and the government looks at our role we really appreciate that, through better policy and funding I think this is the only contributing factor to social issues.”

He said that education is not only about the reading and writing aspect, but also about critically analysing how to manage, which affects the whole system.

“When you educate a person, all the other things you talk about like resource will all come and be effectively managed.”

“Literacy is to be the key to liberate the person.”