Promoting and supporting education in Papua New Guinea
Access to education remains a significant issue in Papua New Guinea, particularly in remote and rural areas. Through our agreement-based commitments and voluntary expenditure, we support education initiatives that aid our host communities in Morobe Province and more broadly across Papua New Guinea. This encompasses both support for schools in our host communities and direct sponsorship of Papua New Guinean students.
Our support for schools in host communities includes donations of equipment and stationery, support for teachers, and sponsorship of school sports and other events, such as World Environment Day, which we budget for annually. In the Wafi-Golpu project area, we have assisted with the provision of e-libraries and, in FY24, installed water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at Wongkins Elementary and Babuaf Primary and Elementary schools.
Our fees assistance is paid directly to education institutions in Papua New Guinea for sponsored students participating in employee dependents’ school fee, university scholarship and Hidden Valley Mine Trust programmes.
Hidden Valley Education Fees Programmes
| Employee Dependent’s School Fees Programme | University Scholarships Programme | Hidden Valley Mine Trust (Benefit Sharing Agreement) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview of initiative | Contribution to school fees for employees dependents | Targets Morobe Province students undertaking a recognised undergraduate or diploma-level course in a mining-related field (engineering, business, geology, surveying, metallurgy and environmental science) | Provides school fees assistance for children and youth from Nauti, Kuembu and Winima (Hidden Valley landowner) villages |
| Commencement year | 2011 | 2022 | 2023 |
| FY24 beneficiaries | 468 students | Eight tertiary students | 91 students from landowner villages |
| Beneficiaries since programme inception | Over 6,000 students over mine life | 18 tertiary students | 126 students from landowner villages |
| Programme expenditure since inception | R63 million (PGK13.3 million) | R0.7 million (PGK0.1 million) | R5 million (PGK1.0 million) |