The Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) recently shared an account of how one of the missions they aid through funding in Papua New Guinea has provided a second chance for adults at literacy education, working with indigenous communities.

ABM stated that in May this year, 8 men and 8 women graduated from the Moreguina Literacy School. They went on to share that “Across Papua New Guinea, the Adult Literacy Program has a further 318 students enrolled in locations across Port Moresby and Popondota Dioceses. The program is supported by ABM AID through the Australian Government’s PNG Church Partnership Program.”

The ABM reported that “interrupted education is common” in Papua New Guinea, where financial security is not certain and school costs parents dearly in terms of fees, materials and uniforms. The Adult Literacy Programmes offer those over school age who never completed their education a second chance to do so.

ABM explained that students complete literacy and numeracy modules, then “teachers work from a flexible curriculum that is led by learners’ interests.” These might include community or business development lessons, healthy island activities or aid in the transition to formal education or employment or even undertaking the Agents of Change course, developed by the Anglican Alliance.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, recently visited Papua New Guinea during his trip to many of the provinces in Oceania and expressed his great admiration for the Adult Literacy Programmes he saw there.

Back in March 2025, the Secretary General recounted that “One of the things that I admired [in Papua New Guinea] is the adult literacy initiatives carried out by the church. This is an encouragement to me, personally, as someone from South Sudan, where literacy levels are very low. The program aimed at helping people learn to read and write is so important to me."

Indeed, literacy, or lack thereof, is a concern in the region, as Asia Pacific Report published in August 2023, that Papua New Guinea’s literacy rate was “the lowest in the Pacific”. One adult learner from the Popondetta diocese Adult Literacy school, whose education was interrupted due to a lack of household funds in Grade 6, stated the programme has “helped with my confidence, public speaking, English and leadership skills”. 

Regarding the value of the programme in making a tangible difference to the lives of young people and their families, the Secretary General noted after his visit to the area, that after completing the programme, which usually lasts around nine months, students are able to go onto secondary school, university and in some cases, have gone on to lead their own businesses. The Adult Literacy Programme demonstrates how access to functional education can effectively disrupt the cycle of poverty and lead to greater opportunities.

See the recent article from ABM about the Adult Literacy programmes in Papua New Guinea here.