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| Mrs Adolphina Luvongit posing with Madang Teacher’s College trainee students at Ambarina Primary School. |
By Adolphina Luvongit for MAKATA (Edited by Job Opu)
Date: August 2013
1. Introduction
Marine
Environment Education Program (MEEP) is an education and awareness program
pioneered and developed by the Mahonia Na Dari Research Institution, a Papua
New Guinean National Non –Government Organization.
Mahonia
Na Dari Institute is based in the Nature Center adjacent to the Walindi
Plantation Resort about 15 minutes’ drive along the coastal road towards the
West coast. Hence the MEEP since its
inception and introduction has been targeting school children from primary and
secondary schools in Kimbe and the surroundings. Teachers have also been
targeted by the program and quite a number have gone through the program. The
program has also extended to other New Guinea islands provinces as funding
permitted Mahonia Na Dari focuses on marine education and awareness as its major
program activity.
.
1.2 What is MEEP?
MEEP
is basically a marine environment education program with a fully developed
curriculum and associated course materials etc. There is a theory side of the
MEEP which is taught inside a lecture room setting and a practical side of it
which introduces students to the marine world through snorkeling and
observation of the various unique marine habitats including mangroves, seagrass
and coral reefs. Students also utilized the wet laboratory by bringing specimen
to further study with the aid of the microscopes.
The
MEEP covers concepts in basic marine biology, marine ecology, threats,
conservation and resource management. The resource materials used are designed
in accordance to the syllabus used in the PNG education curriculum.
Kimbe
Bay where Mahonia Na Dari is situated is a very ideal setting for such program.
MEEP
is conducted by Mahonia Na Dari to coastal schools and communities of West New
Britain. The program was initiated in 1997, and has expanded to cater for the
needs of schools outside of the province.
Intensive MEEP is offered to three (3) secondary/high school students. The
participants in the program are particularly interested students who meet
requirements (as set out by MEEP). They fill in an application and selection
criteria are used to select student.
MEEP
is run on Saturdays (so that it doesn’t clash or affect normal school
activities) for 9 weeks and it ends with student participants undertaking a marine
awareness of what they have learnt to accessible primary schools. The
participants are presented with a certificate of participation upon completion
of the program.
The
program is aimed to instill conservation ethics into the young generation as we
believe they can influence future decision making. This program is also
tailored to suit the different level of audience. MEEP is also conducted in teachers
training to primary school teachers to complement the stand alone subject,
“Environmental Studies”.
2. Aims and Objectives of the Scoping Study
A
short study was undertaken with the following objectives:
·
Identify needs of
school in Madang in marine environment education.
·
If the MEEP was
relevant and applicable to the Coastal schools of Madang
·
How MAKATA and
Mahonia Na Dari could partner and carry out the MEEP to Madang schools and
teachers colleges.
·
A possible costs
and budget to carry out such program.
3. Methodologies
Two
basic methods were used is this study.
The
first method involved a consultation process with various stakeholders in
Madang were consulted to get the feel of the MEEP and its applicability in
Madang Schools. Random groups were selected and consulted with. This formed
part of the assessment.
The
second method was a more detailed method involving the use of questionnaires on
an evaluation form, with more direct questions to be answered by
individuals. Students were taken through
a MEEP and given an evaluation form to fill in. Refer appendix for sample questionnaires. The results were
then collated and analyzed.
4. Outcomes of
the survey
The
study was to see how MAKATA could partner with Mahonia Na Dari with its’ Marine
Environmental Education Program and run the MEEP with coastal schools and
communities of Madang. A mini – research was conducted to identify the needs of
schools and island communities of Madang in relation to their livelihood and the
marine resource management now and in the future.
A
scoping study was conducted in Madang in conjunction with Marine Environment
Education training to the third year students of the Madang Teachers College.
Mahonia Na Dari specializes in the education and awareness of the marine
environment. Madang Teachers College is the only institution in the country
that has signed an MOU with the Organization for the annual training of the
final year students (formally the second year students).
Whilst
in Madang to conduct the training and because timing was very short, a needs
analysis survey at the Ambarina Primary school to 12 participating teachers was
rapidly undertaken, and several random visits to other schools and communities
were also undertaken. .
Based
on the survey accompanied by the evaluation form filled in by the third year
students, the following observed were noted:
·
Majority
stated that the program was very important to them as teachers to be more
knowledgeable about the marine environment so they can be able to better teach in
schools and carry out awareness in their local communities.
·
They
also mention the need for the training to be conducted to the field teachers.
·
During
the awareness at Ambarina Primary School, both the field teachers and students
were learning at the same time. This was an indication that field teachers lack
desired knowledge about the marine environment. (refer to evaluation form on
the index page).
·
The
field teachers also expressed a need for the Marine Environment Education
Program (MEEP) to be accessible to them through trainings, as well as a need
for resource materials to effectively teach topics on basic marine biology,
ecology etc.
·
A
random visit was also made to several communities where couple of leaders
within the conservation areas, expressed a need for such program to reach their
schools and communities.
·
At
least engaging an outsider to do awareness is better to create an impact in
people’s attitudes, as using community leaders most often has not been enticing
to the community.
·
As
part of the training in marine conservation, reference was made to marine conservation
in the locality. Very little was known about the only leatherback turtle
conservation area in Papua New Guinea, using conservation deeds.
5. Recommendation
Mas
Kagin Tapani (MAKATA), a local leatherback turtle conservation group in Madang
can adopt the Marine Environment Education Program (MEEP) from Mahonia Na Dari
to engage with schools and communities for the education and awareness program.
For
MAKATA to take this program on board, these are some of the factors it must
consider:
Ø A
learning resource center such as the conference room, the library and the
office space,
Ø Research
facilities such as a laboratory, storage space, boat & engine
Ø The
administration and the project officers,
Ø The
logistics – vehicle & driver
Ø Accommodation.
Hence
it is strongly recommended that:
1.
MAKATA’s Board secure sufficient funding to conduct
full time MEEP, or
2.
In the interim,
MAKATA can sign an MOU with Mahonia Na Dari (MND) to cater for the program in
the schools and communities in Madang. MAKATA can secure funding to engage the
MND program officer to conduct the MEEP to schools and communities in the
project sites as well as other coastal and island schools and communities.
The MEEP costings can be provided
for schools in Madang should the MAKATA Board require it.
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