St Joseph’s College in Mabiri recently completed the latest phase of a building project. Included in this phase was the maintenance of the STEM block, installation of hydration stations, upgrade of computer laboratories and completion of three houses to accommodate new staff members. The opening of these houses is a key step towards the school being able to facilitate upper secondary learning (Years 11 and 12).
St Joseph’s Mabiri reports that three new staff houses have been completed, ready to accommodate new teachers for Years 11 and 12.
The Marist Brothers have been present in Mabiri since 1998, after the original St Joseph’s school was destroyed during the Bougainville Crisis (1989-2001). The school was established to educate young men, ex-combatants in the Crisis who had not been able to attend school for 12 years. Today, the school offers co-educational opportunities to over 600 children and young people in kindergarten through to Year 11. St Joseph’s additionally offers a two-year vocational program.
Bougainville is on the path towards independence from Papua New Guinea and the expansion of the education sector is critical to empower today’s youth who will become tomorrow’s leaders. The Bougainville Division of Education has identified St Joseph’s College as the site for a key expansion into upper secondary school due to its reputation as a top-performing and well-managed school.
Peter, a vocational student, gained construction experience while contributing to the construction projects at the school.
The significance of adding upper secondary to St Joseph’s lies in the statistic that less than 25% of the school’s grade 10 graduates are able to progress to upper secondary school. There are only four upper secondary schools in Bougainville offering around 500 positions for an estimated age cohort of several thousands.
The impact of adding facilities to accept upper secondary students extends beyond those who will study in Year 11 and 12 at the school This is evident in Peter’s story (name changed for privacy). Peter is a vocational student who arrived in Mabiri intending to earn a certificate in building construction. At St Joseph’s, he had the opportunity to get hands-on experience, contributing to the construction of the aforementioned staff houses. He’ll return home with this valuable experience and a National Certificate in Building Construction. It’s unlikely he would have had this same opportunity at another school, and he says that he “feels extremely lucky” to have gained this experience at St Joseph’s.
An aerial shot of St Joseph’s, taken in 2022, shows the expansion of the school as it prepares to take on Year 11 and 12 students.
The first phase of the building project, completed in December 2022, involved the construction of classrooms and boarding facilities to house Year 11 and 12 students. With the completion of this latest phase, St Joseph’s will see the first intake of Year 11 students in 2025.
Written by Adam Burns,
Communications & Engagement Officer,
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