19 October 2020
This year, the Education Department has transferred the functions of schools in the nation’s capital to the National Capital District Commission (NCDC). NCD Governor Powes Parkop believes that this will improve the level of education and will also solve imminent problems currently faced by schools in Port Moresby. One such school that is dealing with the imminent problems in NCD is the New Erima Primary school which has performed well despite the challenges it faces. The school is an eight-level school and one of the largest primary schools in the country, with more than 2000 students and 43 teachers. Currently, the school is planning to upgrade to New Erima Academic school status and decided to take grade nine next year and grade eight students will either do grade nine or be enrolled into Technical Education System (TVET).
So far, students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 have used their writing skills to help the school by taking part in the School Writing project. The School Writing project is a first of its kind voluntary project. It is currently being carried out at the New Erima Primary School because of fears that the standard of education has dropped and most students are not encouraged to read and write which leads them to speak poorer English. To avoid this situation, schools must immediately start implementing a school writing plan to encourage students to write and publish their school anthologies so that students can read their own works. The School Writing project has sent a proposal to Governor Parkop seeking government support for the programme and are still waiting for feedback from his office.
In the School Writing project, students are encouraged to write essays, short stories and poems regarding what they are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDs, tribal war, culture and traditions, violence against women, their own villages and other topics.
In the Kids Kona section of the new Ples Singsing website, we will be featuring some of their writing and we hope this will garner more interest in the School Writing project.
Ples Singsing - A PNG Writer's Blog 
This activity should be a prime objective because it is the core of any worthwhile educational program: teaching children to interact with their cultural heritage through literature and to contribute their own thoughts creatively.
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