If you want my advice..

Last week I started my role at the Ministry of Education. I am (apparently) an Advisor to the Ministry.

An Infrastructure Advisor... Dispensing advice about infrastructure.

Now, I know what you might be thinking.  What experience do I have to offer advice to a government ministry? And it’s a good question… But I am having a bloody good time trying that’s for sure!

So far, it has been a very busy time of meeting people and trying to get a handle on what is going on here.  I’m working in the newly formed ‘assets division’ which looks after all school infrastructure across the Solomon’s 922 Islands. The ministry is responsible for approximately 1000 schools, 10,000 teachers, and 140,000 students. So she’s a pretty big job!!

The assets division has some major issues around the procurement of construction contracts and prioritising/directing aid funding. I think most of my work will be in these two areas, helping to improve procurement processes, and directing aid funding appropriately so that building projects can run more smoothly.

This primary school, located in the middle of a squatter settlement, had 600 odd kids in two classrooms. They double shifted the lessons, with juniors in the morning and seniors in the afternoon. 

I visited a number of urban schools in Honiara last week. This was a real eye opener for me! Every school I visited had extremely poor infrastructure. The best have basic concrete shells, open windows and corrugated\iron roofs. While the worst, have dirt floors and leaf roofs.  No schools I saw had lighting, and none had an adequate toilet facility.

Yet all the kids and teachers are just getting on with it and making do. The Kids are so happy to see you, and the whole community is really welcoming. Even if they kids all think a gigantic, excessively sweaty white man is the funniest thing they have ever seen!

Picture of cool kids!

This two story classroom has been uncompleted for around 3 years, the exposed steel reinforcing on the first floor is badly corroded and there are no windows or doors. This was one of the better schools I saw!