Papua New Guinea can utilise the expertise of India to ensure more students get a university and college education.
This was one of the take backs from Minister for Planning, Monitoring and Implementation, Richard Maru’s trip to India late last month.
He said the country can learn from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, which will allow for more Grade 12 school leavers to obtain higher education learning.
“They have six million students who don’t go to a campus to go to school. They are doing degrees and masters programs and PhDs from their homes,” said Maru.
He said PNG currently has 30,000 students doing Grade 12 every single year but only 5,000 spaces are available in universities and colleges throughout the country.
“80 percent of our students are drop outs,” said the Minister.
“Imagine if our government is able to partner with Indira Gandhi university to come and set up an open university here and offer masters and degree programs for students.
“You just imagine the potential to educate all our young people using a model that has been trialled and tested and his now the leader of the world.”
(Students at the IGNOU campus in Maidangarhi, Delhi – Picture: Charandeep Kumar)