MANY children and teachers are not spending enough time in the classrooms as many schools are being closed for events such as official functions and tribal fights, an official says.
Former National Research Institute director Dr Thomas Webster, who is a critical member of the country’s think tank, said he was gravely concerned about the inadequate time spent in classrooms by students and teachers. “The quality of learning is so poor that many students drop out of school and so this compounds the illiteracy rate that is poor at the moment,” Webster said. “We should monitor and do something about retaining students (in the education system). “If we don’t challenge ourselves now, the next generation will be illiterate and they will not know about the wider world and how to improve themselves and therefore their ability to contribute to national development.” He said the challenge now was the time to get the bulk of the population to have a quality basic education. His successor, Dr Charles Yala said it was crucial to have teachers in class with their students every day from start of school to the end so that students were not distracted. “I urge teachers to remain with their students and conduct quality learning activities from when school starts to when it ends every day,” Yala said. Yala said the country could not afford to have children pulled out of class every now and then for unnecessary occasions as it would affect the child’s interest in learning. “If we want our children to have a quality basic education, teachers and students must make the most of every day that they are in school,” he said.
1 Comment
P Baker
8/9/2015 12:37:35 pm
As a former (expatriate, if that matters) Deputy Principal in more than one school in PNG, I tried to have teachers' pay reduced for absence. This needed a principal's approval. Some said that they did approve. Others did not want to know.
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