Australia and University of Goroka Collaborate to Shape Healthcare and Education Futures in PNG2/13/2024
In a transformative initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare and education in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Australia is joining forces with The University of Goroka (UoG) to provide scholarships in midwifery and teaching.
A round of applause goes to the 34 Australia Awards PNG Scholars, including 21 women, who recently celebrated their graduation with a Bachelor of Midwifery and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education - Secondary Teaching, specializing in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) at UoG. The Papua New GUinea Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Usino-Bundi, Hon. Jimmy Uguro has died in the early hours of Tuesday in Wewak, East Sepik Province. Minister Uguro had recently arrived in Wewak on Sunday, accompanied by the Secretary for the Department of Education, Dr. Uke Kombra. Huon Gulf, a district in Morobe Province, has reinitiated its tertiary scholarship scheme after a hiatus of seven years. The program was officially launched on Friday under the leadership of the local Member of Parliament, Jason Peter.
According to District Education Manager Sam Geseng, the scholarship scheme, previously halted in 2016, has been reinstated to support students pursuing tertiary education. Approximately 450 scholarship application forms have been made available, with each of the local level governments – Wampar urban and rural, Morobe, and Salamaua – allotted 100 forms. An additional 50 forms are reserved for special cases. Pori High School in Hela Province has been officially upgraded to Pori Secondary School. The announcement was made by Mr. Ronny Angu, the Director of Hela Provincial Education Department, during a ceremony attended by esteemed guests and community members. During the ceremony, Mr. Ronny Angu revealed that the students who completed grade 10 last year will now progress to grade 11 in the newly elevated Pori Secondary School. The announcement was met with enthusiasm from the school board members, councillors of Pori Electorate, teachers, and the local community members from Tari Pori Electorate.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra has issued a warning to school principals and head teachers charging additional fees. Those found guilty will face suspension without pay and legal consequences.
Dr Kombra emphasized that the government had already disbursed K314 million to cover Term One tuition, boarding, and project fees for every student. These funds were transferred directly to school accounts or provincial trust accounts last Thursday and Friday. To maintain order in the first week of school, the Department of Education will not address defiant head teachers and principals immediately. However, starting on Feb 5, action will be taken against those found in violation.
Despite issued notices against charging fees, reports have surfaced of schools persisting in collecting tuition and project fees. To avoid suspension and legal actions, head teachers and principals are urged to cease fee collection immediately. They should also send official letters to parents, instructing them not to pay any further fees, and refund any fees already collected.
Parents and the public are encouraged to report any defiant head teachers to local school inspectors or directly to the Government Tuition Fee Subsidy (GTFS) division. Reports must be accompanied by evidence of fees being charged, notices for fees, deposit forms, and/or receipts. Dr Kombra explained that schools with genuine projects should submit their project proposals to Parents and Citizens (P&Cs), then to the Provincial Education Board (PEB) or National Education Board (NEB). The proposal should specify the project, budget shortfall, years required to complete the project, and obtain written approval from NEB or PEB to collect fees. He clarified that PEBs should not set blanket fees but allow P&Cs of each school to submit and justify the fees to be collected. In a related development, Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Don Polye announced the disbursement of outstanding 2023 Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS) payments, totaling K30.5 million. Polye assured that there were no outstanding TESAS arrears and explained the process for students in AES or HECAS to receive funds as academic awards. He highlighted the authority of universities and higher education institutions' governing councils to set annual tuition fees, potentially adjusting them as needed. The Tesas program operates under regulations, and a digitized system has been introduced for Tesas awards linked to available funds. The system swiftly identifies eligible students and awards Tesas transparently. Continuing and new students follow the same regulations and systems, with GPAs playing a crucial role in award considerations. Watch Video and subscribe to Youtube
In a shocking revelation, numerous teachers across elementary, primary, and secondary schools in Papua New Guinea have been exposed for being absent from their appointed schools while still receiving salaries from the government. The scandal involves hundreds of educators who allegedly bribed school head teachers, school inspectors, and officials from the Teaching Service Commission and Payroll offices to secure teaching positions and ensure their inclusion in the payroll.
One of the most affected regions is the Morobe Province, where the inspectorate division conducted inspections and identified approximately 900 teachers who were on the payroll but nowhere to be found in their designated schools. According to Provincial Senior School Inspector Kwinda Trenian, out of a total of 4,008 teachers expected in 399 primary schools, only 3,036 could be verified as fulfilling their professional obligations. Hundreds of teachers targeted by scammers prompting caution from PNG Teachers Service Commission1/27/2024
In a concerning trend, well-educated Papua New Guinean teachers are increasingly becoming victims of cash bribery scams, with scammers exploiting their desperation for expedited salary payments.
The chairman of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Samson Wangihomie, delivered a stern warning to teachers during a dedication service in Port Moresby on Monday. He cautioned against succumbing to the allure of paying cash to accelerate the processing of outstanding salaries. Wangihomie revealed that scammers are actively targeting unsuspecting teachers through platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
In a recent announcement, Aita Sanangkepe, the President of the PNG Teachers Association (PNGTA), has confirmed that the long-awaited 3% increment payment for teachers is scheduled to be disbursed by April of this year.
Acknowledging the extended timeline since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the PNGTA and Teaching Service Commission in December, Sanangkepe revealed that the crucial document is currently in the hands of the Department of Personal Management (DPM). UPNG Announces, Non School Leavers, Continuing students, School Leavers Lists for 2024 Academic Year1/24/2024
The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) has released important updates for the upcoming 2024 academic year. The information includes: In a steadfast commitment to fostering educational opportunities in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, Australia continues its support through the #PNGAusPartnership. Since 2019, Australia has generously sponsored over 100 scholarships for Flexible and Open Distance Education (FODE), benefiting elementary teachers, health workers, and volunteers residing along the Kokoda Track region. Among the beneficiaries is Natasha Maino, one of 18 elementary teachers and two health volunteers from the Sogeri region sponsored to pursue studies through FODE. Natasha successfully matriculated at the Central FODE center, completing her program in 2022. |
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