HIGHER Education Minister Delilah Gore has received overwhelming support from parliament to reform tertiary education in the country.
Ms Gore won the support of 75-0 votes to pass the Higher Education (General Provisions) Bill 1983 which among other things converts the Office of Higher Education into Department status. This Bill will create a legal and regulatory environment that encourages innovation and achievement; promotes quality; improves institutional and organisational accountability to government; and assists policy co-ordination between ‘tertiary education’ and ‘research, science and technology’. Ms Gore said the Bill is a significant milestone in the history of tertiary education in Papua New Guinea, to carry the country forward. "It replaces the Higher Education Act 1983, which has not been substantially amended since it was introduced over 30 years ago." Ms Gore said the new Bill provides for the establishment of the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology. The new department will replace the Commission for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education. IT is a privilege for Australians to help PNG build on education, Foreign
Affairs Minister Julie Bishop says. She was PNG last week and witnessed the opening of a new library on Tatana Island in Central.Children on the island will now have access to early childhood education after Buk Bilong Pikinini opened its 15th library.She said it was a privilege for Australians to help PNG in building education through the support of Australian government. She said the facilities built were to benefit the Tatana community.“The Australian government has supported Buk Bilong Pikinini libraries by providing more than K2.2 millionin funding since 2012 and through Australian volunteers,” she said.“But Buk Bilong Pikinini owes its success to the vision of its founders, and strong corporate support in PNG and Australia – to provide books and freight from Australia and within PNG and building materials for the libraries.” Anne-Sophie Herman, the founder of Buk Bilong Pikinini said the library would benefit the community greatly in terms of improving their livelihood. Herman thanked major donors for the generous support for making it a success.“Buk Bilong Pikinini is proud to bring organisations and businesses together to create positive change for the most marginalised communities across PNG,” she said. POLICE have arrested 16 male students in East Sepik for fighting in school and damaging school
property.Police mobile squad commander James Bisai said the incident happened last Wednesday and involved students attending Kubalia High School in the Yangoru-Saussia district. Bisai said the incident began when two male students from Wamayan village in Kubalia reportedly indecently assaulted two Grade 9 students during the study period on Tuesday night. Bisai said the 16 students had been charged with fighting and released on K200 bail each.Bisai said the students were expected to appear in court this week. “Police will arrest students involved in offences such as damaging school property and using offensive languages,” he said.A reliable source at the school, said classes had been suspended since last Wednesday for the safety of students, teachers and school property. An urgent meeting was held at the school last Friday to see how the school administration could solve the problem. “I want to make an appeal to all the students attending secondary and high schools in the district to take education seriously,” Bisai said. He said students must stay out of trouble because police would come down hard on those who misbehaved.He said students should concentrate on their studies. TWO females and three male students of Semarang National Senior High School-3 in Indonesia accompanied by an English teacher and the principal were in Port Moresby under the Student Exchange of the Republic of Indonesia-Papua New Guinea 2014 programme.
The students arrived on April 29 and will leave this afternoon for Denpasar. Education attaché office, Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby, implemented the programme involving students of Semarang National Senior High School-3 and St Joseph’s International Catholic College. The Semarang National Senior High School-3 delegation was at St Joseph’s International Catholic College on Thursday. Principal George Swamy welcomed the delegates of Semarang National Senior High School-3 and expressed appreciation over reciprocal visits made by five students and a teacher of St Joseph’s to Semarang last year. Both principals thanked the embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, especially the education attaché, Didik Wisnu Widjajanto for the implementation of student exchange programmes between Semarang and St Joseph’s College. Widjajanto expects the student exchange activities between the two schools to be sustainable, given that the student exchange between the two nations is one of the ongoing missions of people to people contact. Widjajanto said a student exchange gave an important meaning in paving the way for both countries to work together, especially in education and higher education. The delegation from Semarang was welcomed by the Indonesian embassy in the evening of April 29. Present at the event were delegations from Semarang, all embassy staff members and their families, students of St Joseph’s College who visited Semarang with their parents, and other distinguished guests. Representing the ambassador, Martamba Tobing welcomed and thanked the visiting delegation from Semarang. He expected that the student exchange programme that has been implemented can be sustained. A dance group of East New Britain and Central performed during the welcome ceremony, while the Indonesian students of St Joseph’s College featured modern and traditional dances and songs of childhood. ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas’s overseas scholarship programme continues to set new benchmarks as 43 more Enga students graduated last Friday in the Philippines.
The 43 graduated in heavy diesel fitting at the Clark Base Institute in Philippines, under a 6-month site skills training programme, through partnership with the Orion Group company and the Enga government and the Ipatas Foundation Inc. Last Friday’s graduation was the third under this arrangement, the first being tourism and hospitality. Ipatas was accompanied by Wabag Open MP, Robert Ganim and Enga education advisor, Was Leowarin, who attended the graduation in the Philippines. Ganim, who spoke on behalf of Ipatas, thanked the institute for training PNG students, as well as the Orion Group for putting in place such an arrangement where PNG students could have a second chance in life by undertaking training. THE Institute of Business Studies will officially kick start its 2014 IBS School Debate Competition tomorrow and it will run for three days until Thursday.
This year marks another exciting year of debate for IBS and the participating schools around the nation, as it takes in new participating schools from different provinces like the New Ireland. Since its inception in 2009, the IBS School Debate has grown and increasingly gained popularity throughout the country and the region. This has resulted in another milestone of this competition taking part in the Melanesian School of Debate later this year. The Central School debates begin next week, followed by the National Capital District School Debate competitions from May 12-16. The New Ireland provincial schools’ debates then kick off in June, with the actual dates still to be confirmed, and then Morobe debates commence on July 1-5. This is followed by the Milne Bay from July 7-12. Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Eastern Highlands, Enga, Gulf and East New Britain are still to confirm their dates of hosting the debates. Northern and East Sepik are yet to confirm their participation in this year’s competition. Some of the very interesting topics to be debated in the Central school debates are: Housing should be a condition of employment, Global warming is a hoax and Re-introduce corporal punishment in schools. THE University of Papua New Guinea, through its Vice Chancellor Prof Albert Mellam’s intention to transform the university by laying the pillars of a leading university in a developing country, is slowly taking place.
When Mellam took office last year, he disclosed to the nation that the university was in a dire financial situation with a huge debt. The university is slowly changing its cause around with numerous developments taking place. Mella announced at the recent graduation that the debt had been reduced by half in one year by managing from within the pool. When talking on the developments that had occurred at the university, he said: “In one year, and for the first time in the history of the UPNG, it has one of the most modern ICT facilities. There are exciting expansionary developments with the use of technology to deliver higher education, and education in general, to our people, with a focus on rural PNG. He said the UPNG was truly transforming and turning around for a better and brighter future. He highlighted many critical and positive developments since taking office in January 2013, particularly:
“I must report and affirm to the people that, the future looks bright with the reforms taking place currently at the UPNG,“ he said. ALCOHOL and drug abuse among school children and other teens is becoming a contentious issue in Port Moresby, Lae and the major urban centres.
Two weeks ago in the capital city, a drinking session by male and female students after school ended in the death and alleged rape of a Gerehu Secondary School student. The late Diane Wanefa Steward was laid to rest following a funeral service yesterday, which was attended by her family members and school friends. In a similar incident last weekend, NCD police reprimanded six female and eight male students for drinking alcohol and behaving in a disorderly manner in public. Acting National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Perou N’Dranou says many teens are putting their lives in danger and their health at risk by drinking, smoking and behaving in a disorderly manner. He warned parents to monitor their children and peer groups. Over in Lae, magistrate Jeremiah Singomat told students during a law and order programme organised by police that while the courts would like to be sympathetic with young offenders, the law must be respected. Singmat warned that students under 18 years old would be prosecuted for alcohol and drug abuse. Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Iven Lakatani added that police will not hesitate arrest and charge young offenders. This is not the first time the police and other authorities have expressed grave concerns about this issue. It certainly will not be the last. Parents and guardians must take heed of these warnings and ensure their children do not endanger their lives by joining in drinking binges after school. Research shows that alcohol and drug abuse during teen and young adult years can lead to many problems for those concerned and their families. Such abuse can lead to skipping school, bad grades, conflict in relationships with friends and peers and unstable family relationships. It can cause poor brain function, concentration, and other areas of brain development. Many teenagers get in trouble with the law and end up in court, and spend time in juvenile detention. Teens who begin using alcohol and other drugs earlier are more likely to be heavy users and may become addicted and dependent on these substances. These problems have a negative impact on their personal lives, their future work life, family relationships, friendships, and overall health. Teens copy what they see the adults in their lives doing, and will use alcohol and drugs to feel more grown up or to rebel against adults. Therefore, it is helpful for parents to give clear messages about the potential dangers and pair those messages with rules and consequences that are firm but fair. Research shows that there are a number of risk factors that make a teen more likely to have problems with alcohol and drug abuse in the future. These include individual, family, and community risk factors. Individual risk factors include being male, having an untreated mental health issue, having low self-esteem, poor grades in school, and poor social and coping skills. Family risk factors include history of alcohol and drug abuse, poor modelling from parents, chaos at home, and poor communication between parents and children. Community risk factors are high incidence of alcohol and drug abuse and availability of drugs in the community. Research has found that factors that protect teens from alcohol and drug abuse include parents, peers, community and schools. Parents who model positive behaviour, have good communication skills, set limits, and supervise their teens can improve the chances that their children will avoid alcohol and drug abuse. Having friends who do not abuse alcohol and drugs helps protects kids, as does having a zero tolerance policy in the local community. Schools help by providing after school activities, sports, teachers and coaches who are good role models, and quality education. Indeed, alcohol and drugs abuse requires the total commitment and concerted efforts of parents, schools and the community to drastically reduce its harmful and even deadly effects on our young generation now and in the future. TWO students from Buin Secondary School in South Bougainville suffered minor injuries after they clashed with a rival group on Sunday.The two
groups of students hailed from Konou and Makis constituencies. Buin police station commander Snr Sgt Joe Popui told The National by phone that the fight broke out between the two groups when a Makis student stole a plate belonging to a Konou student during breakfast on Sunday. He said the Makis students chased the Konou students out of the school. “Police are yet to decide whether arrests will be made on the students involved,” he said. Buin Secondary School principal Tony Malamo confirmed that a fight broke out after breakfast on Sunday morning over the stolen plate. But he said it had been resolved. A reconciliation was conducted yesterday between the two groups which led to apologies and the shaking of hands and they paid K50 to each other as compensation. “Classes are not suspended and only the concerned students are being taken out of their classes for mediation,” Malamo said. The reconciliation took place yesterday at the Buin Secondary School grounds in the presence of Malamo, school board members, teachers, Popui, parents and paramount chief Jacob Toke. SOME secondary school teachers in Morobe are seeking answers from the Education Department on why they have not been paid.
It included about 40 teachers and principals from Lae Secondary School, two from Busu and others from the Malahang Technical School. Busu Secondary School principal, who is affected, said: “Some teachers who should be on the payroll have been left out. “Some who should not be there are on payroll. There must be a mix-up in the system and we want the Department of Education and the Salaries office to explain it to us.” Lae Secondary School principal Christopher Raymond, who was affected, said: “The only reason I can think of is that the Resumption of Duty Summary Sheet (RODSS) were handed to the Salaries Office in Lae late or that the RODSS were sent to the Port Moresby Education Office late.” Raymond said he spoke to Sinimil Bale from the Salary Office in Lae who confirmed that Lae Secondary School was the first to submit the forms. Bale could not comment on the matter. Acting provincial education adviser Keith Jiram could not be reached for comment. Lae Secondary School suspended classes yesterday and sent students home. |
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