In a country commonly regarded as one of the most diverse in cultural and language backgrounds and there is not one dialect that is spoken consistently in every region the question of the language of instruction arises. School children in the Papua New Guinean school system use the elementary years to speak in Tok Ples (their local dialect) and Tok Pisin (a form of Pidgin spoken in many regions of Papua New Guinea) before they are instructed in English in primary school and beyond.
The schools working under the umbrella of the Rays of Light Foundation instruct elementary school students in both Tok Ples and English (one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea).
The importance of learning the local language is upheld in our elementary schools, and to make the transition to primary school easier, English is the other language of instruction. English is also extremely important to the future prospects of children who are preparing for a world in which English opens many doors of possibility to them through academic and vocational prospects.