The intellectual quality of students entering universities keeps dropping.
This is one of the reasons why universities in the country are struggling to remain viable amidst the country’s economic situation.
Acting vice chancellor of the University of Papua New Guinea, Vincent Malaibe, explains that Grade 12 students are entering universities with substandard education, causing universities to spend more time and money to maintain quality output.
This in turn increases operational costs for universities.
Malaibe pointed out that viability ensures quality and quality output after 4 years of study is important but each year, intellectual quality keeps dropping.
Malaibe revealed that attrition rates, or the number of students unable to meet the required grade point average (GPA) to continue studies, is very high.
18 percent of 2017 first year social science students have been excluded from continuing 2nd year of studies, 23 percent from school of law and 43 percent from science foundation.
“This means the ability of Grade 12 students entering university cannot cope with the material and pressure of universities,” stated Malaibe.
In its 53 years of existence, UPNG for the first time was unable to meet the quota required for medicine.
“We can supply for other areas in health sciences, but not doctors. We could not lower the bar just to pass the 60 students… When you output a doctor that is sub-standard, it costs lives.”
Government’s budget cuts for universities and poor output from secondary schools is leaving universities high and dry in their attempt to maintain quality output.
“One of the things causing the university’s operational cost to increase is the low quality of output from Grade 12s into the university,” said Malaibe.
“These are the realities of maintaining quality intellectual output,” he added.
(UPNG acting vice chancellor, Vincent Malaibe)