Malakai Tabar

Tabar acknowledged the O'Neill government for having the confidence by allowing him to hold onto the portfolio two years.

During his short term in serving the HERST Department, despite the challenges of resourcing, access, equity and quality, he is pleased to highlight a few achievements under his leadership.

These include the passing and adopting of the Higher Education Act 2014, completion and launching of the National Higher and Technical Education Plan 2015-2024, launching of the DHERST Corporate Plan 2015-2017 and accreditation of new higher education institutions.

Rapa was referring to the CoI that the Government plans to carry out to find out the reason behind the students’ prolonged unrest as well as their financiers.

“On behalf of the UPNG students, I embrace the decision of the Government to form a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the issue,” he said in a statement. However, they will only accept the decision on the following terms:

Malakai Tabar's comment comes after the UPNG yesterday suspended the first semester and gave about 5,000 students occupying its campuses 48 hours to leave.

For almost four weeks they've boycotted their classes while demanding that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill stand aside and face police questioning over an alleged fraud case.

UPNG students gathered in their thousands to demand that the prime minister Peter O'Neill stand aside to face questioning over a fraud case. Photo: upng4png

Minister for Higher Education Malakai Tabar revealed this in Parliament today.

He was responding to questions without notice from Ijivitari MP David Arore.

The UNRE Popondetta campus is situated in Ijivitari electorate of Northern Province.

Arore questioned why the UNRE Popondetta campus did not accept students this year and when the campus will be given to the province per the ministry’s decision.

Tabar responded that he is waiting for a decision from the UNRE Council because it is an independent body.

He said this was one of the reasons why people and especially parents misunderstood the increase in GPA and the selection process.

The number of Grade 12 graduates has been increasing at a faster rate than the number of TESAS (Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme) scholarships offered by the Government, adding that the existing holding capacities in our tertiary institutions are limited and the competition to enter into those spaces is very high so the minimum GPA was based on the competition.