The Department of Education (DoE) will take on the Ministerial direction to include religious education as a separate subject in schools across Papua New Guinea.
Education secretary Dr. Uke Kombra said religious education is one component that has been captured in the Culture and Community subject under the new Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC).
The SBC learning kit is now being distributed to all 7,000 schools throughout the country. Each kit contains SBC elementary syllabuses, teacher guides and English materials.
Kombra said they will seriously look into introducing religious education, values and attitudes in the curriculum.
The challenge for the department now is to see and take this Ministerial direction to see that this would become a separate subject that will start from Elementary prep to Grade 12.
The push for religious education to be compulsory for all schools throughout the country was first made by the Department of Community Development, Youth and Religion.
Secretary for Community Development Anna Solomon said religious education is vital for early childhood learning as it teaches Christian principles.