From the 80 pioneer Grade 12 students of New Hanover (Lavongai) Secondary School at Konomatalik, in New Ireland Province, only ten secured spaces at higher learning institutions.
Parents and guardians voiced their frustration, questioning the selection process by the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST).
Principal Fredrick Mahisu explained that the grade point average (GPA) is not the only determining factor behind a student’s acceptance into a tertiary institution. Subject combinations are also taken into consideration.
“Even though a good number of my students scored a GPA of 2.1 and above, they were not selected. And some of them were put in the national admission pool.”
Early this week, the Acting DHERST Secretary, Fr Jan Czuba, explained that a student’s subject combination in secondary school might be different from the requirements of the tertiary institutions that they are interested in.
During the recent online selection, 10,007 Grade 12 students nationwide were selected according to their choices, while another 6000 eligible students were put in the national pool for institutions to consider.
Mahisu has yet to confirm the number of Lavongai students who were placed in the pool.
“The students scored good marks."
“I am trying my best to liaise with the higher education, and I gave them several calls but they might be on holiday or something. I’m trying to ask them, what are they going to do with our students who have been placed in the pool. How and when are they going to put them in?”