Papua New Guinea Standard Based Curriculum

Papua New Guinea has abolished Outcome Based Education (OBE) and now a new curriculum called Standard Based Education / Curriculum is being used. Many researchers including the public have argued that the failure in education system in PNG was due to OBE. Many have claimed that OBE has negative impact on the overall education system.

The government of PNG heard the cries of the public and abolished OBE. The new curriculum SBE is in its infant stages but there are some question we must answer on Standard Based Curriculum.

On this page we Standard Based Curriculum / Education and how it is relevant to Papua New Guinea.

how  was Standard based Education Started? 

NEC Decision No.194/2008

•  As a result of public demand and outcry, the O ‘ Neil-Dion government directed the Department of Education to abolish  Outcome-Based Education in schools throughout the country. This  decision is contained in the National Executive Council (NEC)  Decision No.194/2008 item 12 which states: “The Committee agreed  that the outcomes-based education and the elementary system  should be done away with. That an exit strategy be established, especially for the elementary system.”(p.2).
• The O’Neil-Namah government reaffirmed this decision when it took office on 2nd August, 2011.
• The preparation of an OBE exit strategy will require, in the first instance, a review of the OBE to ascertain its impact on teaching and  learning, and identify the gaps. Based upon the evidence provided  from this analysis, an OBE exit strategy will then be developed and  implemented.

Outcome Based Education Exit Strategy Consultative Forum Report

Outcome Based Education Exit Strategy
Consultative Forum Report.

• This is the Department of Education’s response to National Executive Council Decisions to review and  exit Outcome Based Education and the development  of a new curriculum. This includes:
•  OBE Exit Consultative Forum-Resolutions and  Recommendations.
• Setting up of the OBE Exit Technical Working Team  (OBEETWT) and the OBE Exit Secretariat (OBEES)  who began their work on the Report of the Task  Force for the Review of Outcomes Based Education.

Report of Task Force for the Review of Outcome Based Education

Report of the Task Force for the Review of Outcomes Based Education.

• On January 22, 2013, the National Executive Council (NEC) established a Task Force

and appointed a panel of experts to investigate the nature of the challenges and
problems experienced in the implementation of the Outcome Based Education (OBE)
system. The NEC decision was in the response to wide-ranging public comment from
a variety of stakeholders such as teachers, parents, school administrators, church
agencies and academics, over several years, on the implementation of the OBE
curriculum.

• The public consultation has helped to underline the lesson that future reform in Papua

New Guinea education should derive from an endogenous, country-led process.
Ownership and leadership should be in the hands of the country’s own citizens, from
among whom stake-holders, experts and professionals can be invited to act as
resource persons. The Task Force report heighted eight high level recommendations
and in the third recommendation the government advised to establish an
independent Expert Panel, and worked in partnership with DoE, to prepare the way for
curriculum reform.

• . Independent Experts panel was established and began work the work on the

National Curriculum Standards Framework, where all Standards Based Curriculum
Subject Frameworks, Syllabuses and Teacher Guides have been linked, to develop the
content standards, benchmarks, teaching and learning lesson activities to
performance standards and assessment in partnership with DoE curriculum
development division.

• Standards Based Curriculum subjects syllabuses and teacher guides have been

developed by experts from Papua New Guinea and for Papua New Guinea.

• These reform in education has to happen due to the effects that a curriculum has in teaching, learning and assessment.
• If the results of students are low in terms of literacy,  numeracy, scientific skills plus attitude and value  issues then they should be a shift in education reform.
• The Education system and its approaches should be relevant and suitable for its people, country as a  whole and be compatible globally.