When you educate a girl you begin to change the face of a nation and 12-year-old Sylvia Muget is one of the faces of progress in Papua New Guinea. Education is a basic human right and for many girls, it is also closely linked to health, equity and self-empowerment. Sylvia attends Aguru Elementary School in Madang, but despite her youth she has her mind made up about the future. “I want to be a nurse when I grow up!” she beamed enthusiastically. It was striking confidence from a girl in a rural setting, where children are often shy and reluctant to speak to new people and dropout rates among female students are high – a fact commonly attributed to the expectation that they help parents and families with domestic duties. Her unhesitant, unreserved response came with a light in her eyes that indicated that she wasn’t just blurting out a dream but is determined to make it a reality.
“I know I have to go to school and work hard to become a nurse,” Sylvia said. She is a committed member of her school’s reading club – an initiative of the Together for Education (T4E) Project which is improving the literacy and numeracy rates of early grade students. It provides awareness to parents on the importance of education, training for elementary teachers and supports schools with reading and learning materials and resources. Aguru Elementary is one of the 325 schools supported through the project and has seen numerous activities introduced since 2017. The reading clubs are an important component – encouraging students to read more and develop a passion for reading. Sylvia’s father Max spoke passionately about how the reading club has ignited her love of books. “Sylvia was not so keen on reading or even school for that matter,” he said, “I guess it was because she didn’t understand her work as she was unable to read.” “She started attending the reading club sessions after school and on Saturdays – we realised that she would always be up early and ready for school. Sylvia was understandably disappointed when classes and reading club sessions were called off due to COVID-19, but nonetheless continued reading at home any chance she got. When she reads, the passion and focus are clear in her eyes – she is transported to new worlds, unlimited in her imagination. Aguru Elementary reading club volunteer, Ennesly, said that strong attendance quickly returned when reading club sessions safely resumed and pointed out that Sylvia is one of his outstanding participants. “Sylvia is a very eager learner,” he said. “You can see that by the way she behaves in class and is always one of the first to raise her hand to lead individual reading sessions.” Sylvia’s parents Maggie and Max have witnessed firsthand the transformation in their daughter. "We saw a complete change in her attitude towards school and for that I am very thankful,” Maggie said. “She is my eldest daughter so I know she will influence her younger siblings. “Sylvia is a very determined child. She wants to become a nurse when she grows up and – with the help of the T4E Project and the reading club – she can achieve her dream.” The T4E Project is supported through the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership and implemented by World Vision, ChildFund and Library For All. T4E has benefitted more than 90,000 girls’ across10 provinces. IMAGE: Sylvia Muget– Sylvia Muget: a face of change for Papua New Guinea. PNGFM/PNG Education News Next PNG Education Minister Calls For Extra Classes For Students Comments are closed.
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