Department of Higher Education

Minister Pila Niningi assured the staff this afternoon that the appointment of Frank Griffin as the vice chancellor will go before cabinet.

The Department of Higher Education and UPNG’s National Academic Staff Association have been at loggerheads since the removal of most of the UPNG council members in January, and the appointment of an interim council on January 23^rd.

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The Department has reminded citizens that the national selection is administered online through a highly transparent and accountable system – the National Online Selection System (NOSS).

The additional fees are to compensate for the outstanding payments for Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS) scholarships for semester 2 of 2017.

Students took to social media to air their grievances regarding the UPNG administration’s decision for students and their parents to foot 50 percent of the 2017 outstanding payments for TESAS scholarship. This is on top of the 2018 compulsory tuition and lodging and accommodation fees.

Students reached out to this newsroom outlining the 2018 registration process.

These increments were subjected to scrutiny by the Higher Education Department late last year and implementation were pending discussions between DHERST and the universities.

The universities were granted permission to impose the new school fee structure after their justifications were viewed genuine.

Fr Jan explained the increase in school fees is caused by the increase in the price of food, electricity and overall standard of living.

The new ticketing system, where tertiary institutions will purchase tickets for their students, will be implemented this year.

5 universities, excluding the University of Papua New Guinea, have taken up this responsibility.

The University of Technology, Pacific Adventist University, University of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Goroka and Divine Word University will be allocated some money out of the K3.8 million for this exercise.

Students’ tickets for UPNG will be purchased by the Higher Education Department, as UPNG lacks the capacity.

The Higher Education Department plans to replace the process of manual application with electronic methods.

Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Pila Niningi, said electronic application forms will be developed in the coming year to replace the traditional school leaver forms.

The exercise will make the entire selection process effective and transparent.

“Students will be able to choose academic programs and the institutions they intend to attend electronically from the high schools they are attending,” Minister Niningi said.

Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Fr Jan Czuba, says currently the Department purchases tickets for all TESAS students however, this process causes delays in students’ travels, further holding up the enrolment process for the students and institutions.

The tertiary institutions will receive money from the Higher Education Department to purchase their students’ tickets once they confirm their lists by early January, Fr Jan explained.

This is so the students can travel to school on time for registration and enrolment.

The Department is doing this by facilitating reforms aimed to transform and unify the higher education system in PNG.

This week the department is holding a two day training for its staff to equip them with the right tools to implement the reform.

This workshop follows NEC’s approval of a policy submission by the Department.

The National Government through the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) has developed a strategic plan which aims at introducing necessary changes to the higher education sector.

Students are now looking for options to enroll for tertiary education after either Grade 10 or Grade 12 education.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Institute of Business Studies focuses on students’ success and for that reason, the institute and its academics have designed its new IBS Degree programs to support the growing need for more degree holders and certified professionals in Papua New Guinea.