Sustainable Development Goals
The Project
The Archdiocese of Honiara has requested the assistance of a qualified English Teacher to teach English to students at the Nazareth Apostolic Centre at Tenaru, east of Honiara. You will also support English instruction to students at the Holy Name of Mary Seminary [HNMS] at a nearby campus.
Nazareth Apostolic Centre and Holy Name of Mary Seminary provide educational opportunities for approximately 100 young men and women from across Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands Pijin is the lingua franca, and while English is the official language of the Solomon Islands, it is only spoken by 1-2% of people. These institutions aim to provide students with a solid English bridging opportunity from secondary [pre-seminary] to tertiary [seminary] level. The role objectives include increasing the knowledge and workability of English grammar for all students to a level of English proficiency [writing and in spoken word] appropriate for their academic level.
The Location
HNMS and Nazareth Apostolic Centre are located in Tenaru, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; and is approximately 14km east of Honiara. HNMS was founded in 1995 and serves three dioceses [Archdiocese of Honiara; Diocese of Gizo and Auki]. It is under the care of the Congregation of the Mission [Vincentian Fathers and Brothers].
The Challenge
- Solomon Islands is one of the Pacific’s poorest countries
- The effects of climate change
- Gender, family and child violence [64% of women aged 15-49 have reported physical and/or sexual abuse by a partner].
- There are limited options for higher education and the country has low school completion and attendance rates [50% of students complete primary education; 32% of males and 27% of females complete secondary education]. Attendance at school is not compulsory.
- The average literacy rate for 15 years and older is 76%
- The government is attempting to improve education quality by emphasising examinations within the system.
- There is an emphasis on vocational education.
About You
The successful candidate will have:
- A degree in education or certificate in teaching English as a second language
- Understanding that for many students English will be their fourth or fifth language.
- A willingness to learn Solomon Islands Pijin
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Cultural sensitivity and openness to working within a different cultural context
- Willingness to work in Tenaru for 1 – 2 years, with limited IT/internet resources and facilities
- Willingness to engage their Australian community in promoting the work of the host organisation and their role.
How You Will Help
First you must be willing to learn from the local community.
Over the first six months you are asked not to change anything or suggest a change to operations. During that six months you will take the time to learn language and cultural mores from a local counterpart willing to mentor you. You will also start a register of the strengths of the current personnel and the assets in the community/country that might be used to achieve the goals of the assignment.
You need to commit to clarifying why things are done the way they are rather than presuming from your own cultural lens to outline what is missing. So, you need to ask questions to enable you to learn from your hosts, rather than in ignorance make suggestions about how things can improve. Palms training will prepare you for this approach.
The ongoing mentoring and support of current teachers over a one to two year timeframe will help to improve the quality of learning and educational outcomes. Students will directly benefit from being taught by a qualified English teacher. The overall English program will have resources developed that will continue to provide effective English lesson delivery into the future.
Note: The monthly living allowance enables you to live a modest local lifestyle. Based on the cost of living in a particular country, it covers food, your daily commute, communication and other local costs. It is not set to enable you to meet financial commitments at home, such as a mortgage or a personal loan. It will not cover the costs of eating out and other entertainment. Read more about what is covered in our FAQ