Project Description
Total: € 1.400,-
Year: 2020 – 2021
School no. 1: It is quiet in the schoolyard. The hallways are empty except for a single student. They keep their mouth shut, sometimes out of fear and sometimes out of boredom. Although the school has many students on paper, less than half of them actually attend classes. Many children prefer to follow their parents to the forest to look for sago. Only three teachers, including the headmaster, are present.
School no. 2: Laughter and noise can be heard in the corridors. Here too, some classrooms, with bookshelves and posters on the walls, are empty. Not because of a lack of students, but because students are active around the school with their teachers. They learn to count in nature (trees, stones) and to write in the sand, while being watched by curious parents. Here too, a number of teachers are missing. Not out of disinterest but because they are following an education course.
Unfortunately, the situation of school no. 1 is more often the rule than the exception in Papua. That is why the Albert Fiharsono Institute in Merauke put together a book full of anecdotes, stories and advice from teachers from all over Papua, based on their own experiences. This collection of essays brings forward fresh ideas to bring back the joy of learning to students. Enthusiastic and resourceful educators are the key to better education. That is why, with financial support from Hapin, the book has been distributed free of charge to various schools throughout Papua, both in print and digitally.
