By BENSON WEMA
PRIME Minister Hon. James Marape hosted a farewell dinner yesterday (Sunday) at the Hilton Hotel for 76 students that were selected for the STEM program to study in various state universities in the United States of America (USA).
The farewell dinner was specifically to bid them best wishes and prepare them as they set out to the different universities for their studies.
According to the Prime Minister, the students selected for the STEM program were students from all the National Schools of Excellence in the country.
While STEM Scholarship is a program introduced to create opportunities for Grade 12 students school leavers, PM Marape strongly emphasises that recipients to this initiative should take this program wholeheartedly and focus on making their parents proud as well as the country they represent.
“This is a golden opportunity and it comes once in a person’s lifetime, so I encourage you all to embrace it. I also want to encourage the Education Department to continue with this program,’’ PM Marape said.
He added  that students going out on this program must be disciplined and abstain from all drugs as well as going out on parties and should always acknowledge their God.
Marape wishes to see these students complete their studies well scoring to expectations in their results that can allow them to find employment in the states they are studying and at the same time come back to work in the country.
He referred to the first batch of 43 students that went to the US last year, which produced a good report to the country and urged that the currently selected students should follow the same steps and make the country proud.
Marape said he is committed to see every child develop their talent and achieve their dream through education and pledges his undying support.
Secretary for Education Dr. Uke Kombra revealed that students taken on this scholarship program are students who scored highly in their national school of excellence.
Dr. Kombra thanked the Marape-Rosso Government for ensuring that this program continues to see positive outcomes.
PM Marape is positive this program will benefit many children growing up and he announced the STEM curriculum that is also conducted in Australia.
He further added that it is a bonus and for the first time ever for other foreign developed countries to copy the curriculum developed by Papua New Guineans.
