The St. Monfort Kiunga Teachers College (SMKTC) officially opened its doors on December 4th, 2025, with the installation of its management team and the announcement of its 2026 academic program.
The college, located behind St. Gabriel’s Technical Secondary School in Kiunga, Western province will be operated by the St. Gabriel Brothers under the Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga.
Brother Lucianus Lakra was appointed as Principal, and Brother Benny Luis as Assistant Principal. The college has received approval from the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology (DHERST) to begin its academic program in 2026.
College Project Manager, Mr. Kevin Joseph acknowledged the efforts of North Fly MP James Donald, the North Fly District Administration, the Fly River Provincial Government led by Governor Taboi Awi Yoto, Provincial Administrator Robert Alphones Kaiyun, and other government divisions.
He also thanked the Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga under Reverend Bishop Joseph Durero SVD and the missionaries for their support.
Mr. Joseph shared that the Montfort Missionaries had long intended on establishing such an institution in Western Province.
The idea gained momentum during the severe teacher shortages of 2015–2016, when many school leavers had to study outside the province.
Following MP Donald’s election in 2017, discussions were initiated, and the project was formally announced, followed by the ground-breaking ceremony in 2020.
He thanked the NFDDA for driving the project forward and highlighted the milestone achievement of opening five new buildings.
He said the event marked the setting up of administrative staff, the opening of new facilities, and the beginning of preparations for the 2026 program.
“As work kicks off, the inspection team will visit the college to assess whether it meets national standards. We need to tick off certain checklist items before the college can be fully registered.”
Initially, 40 students will be enrolled in the first intake, with applications open to Grade 12 school leavers and FODE upgraders who have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.8.
During the opening ceremony, several new facilities were blessed, including a lecture building, administration block, and staff accommodation.
The development has been praised by North Fly MP James Donald, who announced that PNG Sustainable Development Program (SDP) will fund the construction of 12 new staff houses for the college. MP Donald also outlined plans to eventually upgrade the institution to a full institute, with hopes to expand its offerings in the future.
While the first intake will consist of day students, the college expects to have full boarding facilities by 2027.
