Work

I realized the other day that I have made little mention of the actual work that I do here in PNG. I guess since I am knee-deep in it every day, I didn't much feel like writing about it. Still, I suppose it is appropriate to mention a little something about my purpose for being here in the first place - a justification of my existence if you will. Besides, I get the feeling that some people think that I am on an extended vacation. Well, jerks, this one's for you.



Quick background: VSO has been supplying Rosary with volunteer teachers for the past decade. VSO teachers are a hot commodity - they bring in new, effective teaching methods and their mere presence increases the status of a school. Rosary simply assumed this arrangement would continue on forever. VSO had other ideas. This is a crude excerpt from a meeting that took place last year with the VSO program managers and the Rosary executive committee:

VSO: Look, we can't just keep giving you new teachers every other year just because you want them. However, if you have a school development plan in place and a VSO resource can help you achieve the goals you have set out, then we would be happy to recruit another VSO volunteer to teach at the school.

Rosary: (blank stares)

VSO: um… ok. Would it help if we provided you with a strategic planner to help you put together a school development plan?

Rosary: YES! That is what we need, a strategic planner!

And just like that, I was born.

So here I am. The brass here at Rosary had absolutely no idea what to do with me. However, they liked the fact that an 'American Business Man' was here and figured my presence guaranteed that Rosary would continue to receive VSO teachers in the future. I was given absolutely no parameters for this project, so I had to create them on my own. I have spent the last three months pinpointing the current situation of Rosary, the ideal situation and formulating practical solutions to bridge those gaps. I have tried to come up with simple solutions that can be implemented immediately and more importantly, continued after I leave. For instance the school did not have a master calendar for each term with key dates (school holidays, staff meetings, assessment dates) so we built one for Term III.

On the other hand, VSO is insistent that I create a 5 to 10-year plan for the school. I think this is wildly unrealistic. I am trying to get the school to look at the next TERM - 10 years is a whole other lifetime. I doubt ANY of the current staff will even be here in 10 years. However, I built one anyway. I created a 5-year plan that lists goals and milestones and indicates VSO's role at every step. I put a lot of effort into it and it looks pretty, but in my opinion it is barely worth the paper it is printed on.

Of course, this whole process has been very unique navigating through the cultural maze of PNG. I scheduled all kinds of fancy meetings and conducted 'vision exercises' with the teachers and department heads. It was very difficult getting people to participate - I think they may have thought I was a spy for the administration, trying to root out the bad seeds. It took a couple weeks to establish some trust. Still, everyone tip toes around each other and is hesitant to speak their mind. Furthermore, people would not show up to meet with me or simply not be in school for a few days.

Meetings are very formal and are all lead off with a prayer. Something like 'thank you God for bringing us together today, please help us and guide us during this meeting so we can make good decisions…' That is no joke. People are referred to as 'Mr. Apa' and 'Mrs. Thomas'. Long speeches are made during these meetings and are often repeated (verbatim) by another person, immediately following the conclusion of the first speech. It was a struggle just to keep these gatherings moving in a forward direction.

I have found that every recommendation I have made receives a resounding 'yes'. At first, this was good positive reinforcement at a time when I was unsure about what I was doing. Now, I find these responses empty. It has been engrained in the PNG's psyche that the western world is vastly advanced and educated. They take everything I say as gospel or are intimidated to challenge my opinions. It is very hard to get useful feedback. You really have to watch what you say.

I often find myself conflicted in my work. I have found some administrators and teachers to be spectacularly ineffective and a real drain on the school. It would be highly inappropriate if I were to report this - that is not why I am here. I am not sure who I would report it to anyway. So what am I supposed to do with this information? I guess I just eat it.

On the whole, my work is pretty stress-free and since I have been given carte blanche, I can be as creative as I want. I have a computer set up in the copy room of the administrative office - it is a hive of activity with the secretaries zipping around making copies all day long. I like the action. With 500 students and over 40 faculty members (not including the maintenance crew, security force, cowboys, etc) there is always some form of drama blooming every morning for all to witness. I am never bored at work.

Term II is coming to a close and I am at the halfway point of this project.

We have put together some programs that will be tried out in Term III. I have submitted the 'PLAN' to VSO and they are going to see if it aligns with their vision for the province as a whole. I am proud of the job I have done and I think some of the results of all those meetings and reports and workshops could actually help the school. So there you go.