Friday, July 10, 2009

A holiday with a difference

Students taking sewing lessons at PAU’s ‘Holiday School’
Sixteen-year-olds Maria Raka (right) from Laloki High School and Grace Apana from Badihagwa Technical Secondary School busy sewing away at PAU’s ‘Holiday School’

Friday, July 10, draws to a close the groundbreaking ‘Holiday School’ programme run by the School of Education at Pacific Adventist University’s Koiari Park Campus at 14-Mile outside Port Moresby.
The holiday School has transformed normal university classrooms into a school for approximately 200 grade 10 students from various schools in the Port Moresby area.
“The timing of the holiday school has been an excellent opportunity both for the pupils and the practice teachers,” says Dr Jillian Thiele, dean of the school of education and holiday school ‘principal’.
“The holiday school has meant that our students have been able to experience a wide range of situations in a controlled environment, and the Grade 10 pupils have had the opportunity to get additional professional tutoring in preparation for the national
Year 10 exams.”
Enthusiastic students told me that they had enjoyed every moment at PAU’s picturesque campus and it was a welcome change from their normal classrooms.
“We’ve been learning science, social science, English and maths,” said Ishmael Nigints from De La Salle High School, Bomana.
“There are also optional subjects like IT, sewing and cooking.
“I’ve enjoyed it very much, I have learnt a lot, and it’s very interesting.
“At De La Salle, there are only boys, but here, there are girls, so it’s a new experience for some of us.
“And also, the environment here is very beautiful.”
Dr Thiele said the topic focus areas for the holiday school had been identified and managed in conjunction with a number of high school teachers and principals in the NCD region.
“As a result,” she said, “the holiday school is targeting areas that teachers have identified as common weak areas.
“Additionally, because the holiday school is being held on the PAU campus – school
pupils and teacher trainees have direct access to the university’s specialist lecturers in the
various content areas.
“The programme would not have been the success that it is without the assistance and support of the NCD governor, Powes Parkop, who has assisted the holiday school with bus transport to all NCD students from the NCD region to Pacific Adventist University for the holiday school.
“The programme this year is considered a great success and PAU wishes all of the participants the best for the upcoming national exams.”
PAU is a tertiary institution owned and operated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, offering diploma, bachelor and post-graduate awards in a range of disciplines.
PAU is located at Koiari Park, at 14-Mile outside Port Moresby, with affiliate campuses
Fulton (Suva, Fiji) and Sonoma College in East New Britain province.

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