Refocus Overseas Scholarship Scheme. Post by Media Unit of New Ireland Provincial Government News //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The New Ireland Government is reviewing its overseas Education Scholarship programs to the Ashgrove Marist College and the Stuartholme Girls School in Queensland, Australia. This comes after difficulties with serious cuts in the country’s budget, and a concern that the program was only assisting a few top number of New Ireland students. The New Ireland Government will divert the overseas Scholarship component of its School Subsidy program towards capacity building of the Education Institutions particularly the high schools in the Province. NIPG has commenced this process by establishing its Governors School of Excellence at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart International School in Kavieng. “This way more students in New Ireland will be able to benefit from the funding from the Scholarship program. Through the OLSH Governors School of Excellence they will have access to world class resources including well trained teachers, computer technology and general facilities,” said Governor Sir Julius Chan. Sir J said “Qualified teachers from various institutions overseas including Marist and Stuartholme will be brought in from time to time to conduct capacity building trainings, including training of teachers from other schools in the province. This will have a broader and massive impact and expose more students to foreign skills. “There is also a need for administrative training of our School Administrations to better manage their schools, this area will also be a crucial component captured in the School of Excellence component,” said Sir J. There are currently four females at the Stuartholme School, two in year 12 and the other two in year 11. The year 11’s will be allowed to complete their education there and the scheme will be phased out. The overseas Scholarships were introduced in 2017 with 8 students, representing 7 different LLG’s in New Ireland benefitting from the Program. A total of K1.2 million has been expended on the scholarship program. “ I would like to thank both the Ashgrove Marist Boys and the Stuartholme Girls Colleges for taking great care of all our students. The knowledge they have acquired and lessons learnt will stay on with them for the rest of their lives. But this is not the end of our education partnership we will still call upon the expertise of these great institutions from time to time, knowing that they are happy to assist in whatever way possible,” said Sir J, a former student of Marist Boys college. The recent visit by the Marist College Principle Peter McLouglin and four other college executives who met with Governor Sir J was the turning point in reviewing the association with the overseas schools. Ends// Photo Credited to Media Unit of New Ireland Provincial Government News. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////