Inclusive Education

Library Learning Centre

BbP established its first Inclusive Education Library Learning Centre at the Red Cross Special Education and Resource Centre in 2008. A special needs program was put in place to assist disabled children enrolled at the school with comprehensive educational support in sign-language, literacy, numeracy, general knowledge and health awareness.

Thanks to the financial support BbP has received since the establishment of the Library Learning Centre from Sir Theo Constantinou, The Sidney Myer Foundation, The Kramer-Ausenco Foundation and our current sponsor the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, we have been able to create the best resourced special needs centre in PNG. The children have access to a vast library of books for children of all age groups, – sign-language cards, dictionaries, posters, games, DVDs, puppets – as well as tablets and portable DVD players.

A majority of children who were enrolled at the centre are hearing or speech impaired but there are also children with other disabilities. Buk bilong Pikinini’s Teacher-Librarian Noah Agino assisted by an Interpreter and Assistant Teacher , would run daily classes with the children delivering BbP’s special needs program. When BbP first identified the school, there were no books or materials for the children to support their various special educational needs.

We have now ended our partnership with the Red Cross Special Education and Resource Centre to focus on establishing an independent dedicated centre for the deaf in partnership with the Sir Brian Bell Foundation. Our inclusive education team is now focused on creating all the materials and resources required to deliver our program at the upcoming centre. We anticipate to be able to open this centre in 2023-24.

Partnership program with Mary MacKillop Today

BbP has partnered on a number of projects with Mary Mackillop Today. The projects included support for the Callan Special needs centre in Vanimo, Sandaun Province (West Sepik) and our former Library Learning Centre at the Special Education and Resource Centre in Port Moresby. The partnership also included publishing two books to increase awareness about inclusive education. See Our Titles - books and readers - for more.

Port Moresby General Hospital

BbP opened its first Library Learning Centre at the children’s ward for Malnutrition, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS on the 8th of April 2008. The program offered at this library is a special needs program focused on supporting the children’s rehabilitation and allowing them to have some structure and social interaction in their daily lives during their extended hospitalisation periods. The library is sponsored by the Sir Theo Foundation. Please see more under BbP libraries POM General Hospital.

Inclusive Learning