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As part of the 41st anniversary celebrations of Papua New Guinea’s National Parliament House, the country’s top Grade 11 finalists in the Parliamentary-sponsored National Essay and Poetry Competition gathered in Port Moresby on Thursday for a ceremony recognising their achievements.
Flown in from schools across the country, the students took part in the anniversary events and witnessed the announcement of the top three winners in each category. The winners received cash prizes, with additional awards presented to their schools.
Poetry category
- Joshua Sinari – Zion Zeal Christian School
- Phylip Ryan – Kainantu Technical Secondary School
- Larry Barry – Manus Secondary School
Essay category
- Charlie Isari – St Charles Lwanga Secondary School
- Simon Tau – Kainantu Technical Secondary School
- Gwenes Banare – Lae Technical Secondary School
In a symbolic gesture to mark the occasion, all finalists’ works will be sealed in a time capsule inside Parliament House, to be opened 50 years from now during Papua New Guinea’s Independence celebrations.
The competition is run by the PNG Parliamentary Service in partnership with the Department of Education, aiming to inspire civic engagement and creativity among young people.