Student Scholarships outlined

​Bougainville Regional MP Joe Lera continues to invest and support the education sector to boost human resource capacity building and institutional infrastructure development in the region.
Mr Lera under his education program looks to develop key institutions such as vocational schools, colleges and universities to cater for the ever increasing grade 8, 10 and 12 school leavers.
He said for Bougainville to advance into the future, it is vital that leaders and all citizens must invest in education at the next level and also maintaining the existing systems and structures that are in place.
Mr Lera since 2013, he has allocated K1.2 million annually towards the school fee assistance program for Bougainville students attending tertiary institutions in Papua New Guinea and overseas.
He said the school fee assistance program for 2018 was publicly open to students and parents to lodge applications as of October last year and was closed at the end of January 2018.
“So far my office has collected more than 1000 school fee applications from parents and students throughout Bougainville attending tertiary and overseas studies,” Mr Lera said.
Currently the MP’s office is screening and sorting out all applications in preparation for processing payments once funding is made available.
Apart from the school fee assistance, Lera has also provided financial support to elementary, primary and secondary schools at the district level.
Another education project funded by Lera includes the sponsorship of 12 Bougainville students at the cost of K1.2 million.
These students will continue their bachelor degree at Central Queensland University in Australia this year.
Other major projects the Regional member is funding and are in progress include the Bougainville Polytechnic Collage, the Arawa School of Nursing, the Haku Community Health Workers College, the establishment of Bougainville University- (in proposal stage), the establishment of Kihili Teachers Collage- (in proposal stage), Bougainville Soccer Academy and 50 percent subsidy for students attending the International Training Institute (ITI), Kokopau Branch in Buka.
“There’s a lot of work that I need to do and would greatly need the cooperation and support from the ABG, my 3 colleagues (National MPs) and other stakeholder concern.
We leaders and the people must work together in order to raise the services delivery standard in Bougainville,” Mr Lera said. Post Courier

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