Education

Morobe Province’s only female Early Childhood Education (ECE) mentor, Esther Anonga, appealed to the government to invest in the upskilling and inservice of teachers.

“Teachers must know the curriculum before they teach,” she stated.

“Without curriculum, I don’t think people will know the right thing to do and they must understand how to utilise it, the skills and strategies, the concepts and ideas especially.

“Teachers must be trained. Our government of the day should provide support so teachers will be well-trained so that they may know the curriculum well.

Governor Michael Marum visited Sikut Matupit Primary and Matupit Island Primary at the Sikut Matupit ward presenting the cheque.

Marum was accompanied by Deputy Provincial Administrator Social Services, Marakan Uvano, Kombiu LLG President, Michael Warium and other officers from the Governor’s office.

When presenting the cheque, Marum said since his appointment as the Governor, the best thing that ever happened to him is when he goes out to the public or visits communities and meets children.

During the inauguration of a FODE centre at Mt Diamond Adventist Secondary School in Central Province on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Prime Minister James Marape called upon Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro and Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra to replicate this transformative initiative across the country.

Prime Minister Marape underscored the importance of incorporating Christian values and ethics into the curriculum, emphasizing the need to guide young individuals through a comprehensive 13-year education journey, spanning from elementary to Grade 12.

SLIP targets school heads, Board of Management, Governing Councils, even teachers and students to drive the PNG Education System with good governance and transparency.

One-hundred-and-sixteen (116) students from schools in NCD are participating in the SLIP leadership training in Port Moresby today; 40 primary schools, 15 high school and secondary schools including five vocational centers. Accompanying the students are 88 teachers.

The event aimed to introduce to education officials and teachers the conversion of elementary schools to early childhood education centres under the standards-based curriculum. 

The outcome-based education (OBE) system, which was introduced in 2000, and had its first syllabuses published in 2003, was widely considered a failed concept.

Following public outcry, the then O’Neill-Dion government, in 2018, directed the Department of Education to abolish OBE in schools in the country.

The event showcased the transformative changes happening within the institution and highlighted its significant impact on the dreams and aspirations of individuals from all walks of life.

Kusala Sawa, a parent attending the open day, expressed her excitement, stating, "Balimo College has resurrected a lot of dreams for the old and young alike. I see a changed attitude toward life in the young people attending." Sawa's words echoed the sentiments of a community experiencing the profound transformation brought about by the college.

This episode, the first in a two-part deep dive into the challenges facing rural health services, follows Dr Nancy Hamura as she conducts health checks for a remote community in Eastern Highlands Province.

The local health centre has not had running water for almost ten years and land disputes have left the centre unable to cater to the needs of the community.

In Madang, Tusbab Secondary School has taken the initiative to conduct in-service for its staff, but at the same time inviting other high schools to participate as well.

During the closing ceremony, In-Service trainer Mr Kavagu, the Deputy Principal Administration, highly stressed on the uniformity of delivery within the education system, for quality results to be achieved, in this case, the roll out of SBC in term 3 for all grades 9.

Speaking at the closing at Malaguna Secondary School was Rabaul District School Inspector, Cecilia Tapil who stressed on the importance of lesson timetables.

“We have to consider that children have a limited attention span and we have to have a variety of activities to keep the children interested,” Tapil said.

She added that equal focus should be given to students in preparatory stages in setting their foundation right.

The items were presented by the Lae-based Niugini Good Samaritan Foundation, a non-profit organisation that builds partnerships with other groups to address development issues.   

Handing over the materials today was its president, Nera Kame, who outlined the low literacy rate in the country due to inaccessibility and lack of resources.

“We are basically supporting the education sector with the supply of books and other educational materials that can enhance the level of literacy in schools across Papua New Guinea,” said Kame.