![]() MORE than K150 million PNG government tuition fee subsidy (GTFS) funds were paid into all schools’ accounts last week, says Education Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra. “As of Friday last week, all school accounts with Bank of South Pacific, Kina and Westpac banks received their GTFS funds. “Accept for decentralised provinces, the money was deposited into provincial trust accounts,” he said. “These will be the only schools to face delays while waiting for the money to be transferred from provincial trust accounts into theirs.” Kombra gave a stern call to decentralised provinces to take responsible actions in transferring GTFS funds to respective schools’ accounts. ![]() THE Teachers Savings and Loan Society (Tisa) has made a record net profit of K76.49 million and has a balance record of K1.17 billion after taxes for the 2022 financial year, board chairman Gabriel Tai says. Addressing a media conference in Port Moresby yesterday, Tai said Tisa’s strategic objectives had resulted in a seven per cent interest rate of return paid to its members Yumi accounts, and its transformation to satisfy Bank of PNG’s conditions to become a commercial bank. Additional interest payouts would see two per cent each credited annually to members’ general savings accounts, Yumi accounts and six per cent for members with special savings accounts. ![]() Photo and Story by Charlie Clyde Tikaro Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has addressed the protesting students from the PNG University of Technology at the university campus hall. This comes after he received their petition through Morobe Governor Luther Wenge during the Morobe Provincial Assembly Meeting today. Unitech SRC President Kenzii Walipi presented a total of nine very important questions to PM Marape relating to the much talked Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) which the students had protested against on Monday. PM Marape took time to properly provide answers to each question with a lot of clarity and facts. ![]() THIRTY-SEVEN new apprentices have joined Ok Tedi Mining Ltd’s (OTML) apprenticeship training programme, bringing the total of apprentices to 73. OTML general manager for people and capability, Mark Stone, welcomed the new apprentices and highlighted the importance of safety, discipline and professional conduct in their careers. Stone emphasised OTML’s values of safety, integrity and teamwork to be used as guiding pillars in their apprenticeship journey. The first-year apprentices signed their indenture contracts with OTML and the National Apprenticeship Trade Testing Board (NATTB) last week Tabubil, Western. The 37 apprentices include 19 males and 18 females who are enrolled in various trades including auto electrical, carpentry, cabinet making and joinery, electrical, heavy equipment fitting, maintenance fitting and machining, metal fabrication and welding, plumbing and refrigeration and air-conditioning. ![]() Trukai Industries has joined a partnership with the Pacific Adventist University (PAU) to continue the company’s rice cultivation training under its Smart Farmer Program. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed at the Trukai office in Lae on Monday 22nd May 2023. The agreement with PAU comes after the company successfully certified more than 105 local rice farmers in irrigated rice farming, which was facilitated under the partnership with the PNG University of Technology’s Agriculture Department earlier this year. The five-year agreement with PAU is a partnership aimed at utilizing academic and professional facilities to enhance the knowledge of local rice farmers in PNG and provide farmers with an accredited certificate from a recognized tertiary institution in Papua New Guinea. The partnership with the university will allow local rice farmers to have access to classrooms, research facilities, farming areas, student training, and extension activities. ![]() ESTABLISHING Teaching Service Commission (TSC) adviser offices in provinces will minimise teachers’ welfare issues every year, says TSC commissioner, operations, Mike Maini Ugaia. Ugaia said in any sector, teaching service made up the biggest number of employees in provinces. “After 50 years, we want to see that we have offices in the provinces because that is where our teachers are,” he said. East Sepik education advisor Timothy Yavu said having TSC advisers in provinces would save time and money. ELA Motors has supported the Project Yumi Inc, a not for-profit organisation, with K27,000 to enhance quality education in rural communities in three provinces.
Project Yumi Inc representative Arleena Kukari said they would use this money to buy school materials from Australia and deliver it to five rural-based schools each in Morobe, Madang and Enga. “We will get our materials in containers and then send them to Morobe, Madang and Enga, to ensure schools in the rural communities and improve the standard of education,” Kukari said. THE Morobe education board will soon advise school heads to put a ban on students bringing phones to classes, says provincial education adviser Keith Tangui. Tangui made this comment after a Tiktok video showed Huonville Primary School students verbally attacking students in Port Moresby using vulgar language. He said after the deliberation made by the provincial education board (PEB), the principals, head teachers, managers and headmasters would be advised to ban students from bringing phones to school. “If the phones are brought to school for educational purposes, then use them responsibly,” he said. Tangui said the students should take ownership and know their priorities, because the country does not need people with bad attitudes. ![]() HUONVILLE Primary School has expelled seven students following a recent viral TikTok video showing the students verbally attacking students in Port Moresby using vulgar language. Two other students were suspended for the rest of the year and a further two were sanctioned with two-week suspensions. Chairman of the school’s parents and teacher’s association, John Poroda, who spoke on behalf of the school board, said the decision was made after the board took into account reports by staff tasked with investigating the TikTok posts. “The boys involved were also asked to submit their reports as well,” Poroda said. “Seven students were terminated, two were suspended for the remainder of the academic year. ![]() PNG Teaching Service Commission RECENTLY visited twelve schools within the nation’s capital to observe teacher to student ratio in classrooms to ensure a teacher’s welfare is not compromised. TSC Provincial Advisor – NCD and team leader Mr Paul Lapun explained to each school administration the purpose of the visit was to assess welfare of the teachers and teacher ratio against a class size in early childhood, elementary, primary and junior high. The schools visited include Waigani Primary School, Boreboa Primary, Gerehu and Badiagwa Secondary, Kaugere and Butuka Academy. Mr Lapun explains school infrastructure and curriculum is not TSC business. |
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