FLEXIBLE Open and Distance Education (FODE) matriculation student Dominic Yobinen, an employee of Air Nuigini, told The National that some of them were still waiting to receive the materials after paying for them last month.
Yobinen said by now all students should have collected their materials and handed their assignments in. But some were still waiting to receive their materials. “As FODE is like home study, it is a must that we have those materials in time so that we can prioritise our time.” Other students raised concern about the delay. They said they would have to rush to cover everything before examinations in July. Principal Demas Tongogo said FODE was trying out a new mode of distribution. Tongogo said he hoped that by the end of this month all materials should reach students and that would close off the 2014 enrolment for FODE. He said the introduction of the tuition fee free policy had seen a lot of students enrolled. He said they targeted to print out 32,000 copies of materials but that had increased to 40,000. BUGANDI Secondary School’s 1,700 students and more than 50 teaching staff in Lae, Morobe, now have high-speed internet service.
Telikom PNG, through its foundation, made it possible for them to access internet through Telikom Foundation’s “Clean IT” online library service and Wi-Fi. The foundation, in partnership with Lae MP and Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development Loujaya Kouza, launched the online library service at the school last Friday. “This is positive news and a new pathway to success for Bugandi after too much negativity in the media. “We want a change, and thank you Telikom PNG for your support and having faith in our school,” principal Geteng Punumping said. He said assistance from a state-owned enterprise like Telikom PNG is a boost for the students, especially in the era of modern technology. “We know there are people who care and want to help us excel. “We want to tell everybody that we are a ‘New Bugandi’ and thank you Telikom Foundation and our Minister Kouza for your assistance. The additional service of Wi-Fi by Telikom PNG is an added support and we look forward to producing better results at the end of this year.” POLICE have arrested and charged four students who were among a group who damaged property at a school in Wewak, East Sepik, and looted its canteen last Friday.
Provincial police commander Joe Poma strongly condemned what the students did at the Brandi Secondary School in Wewak. He said up to 30 students were involved and everyone would be brought to justice. Police believe that the students were under the influence of alcohol. Poma said the students damaged three teachers’ quarters, the staff room and deputy principal’s office. They broke into the school canteen, looted it and chased away the teachers on duty, including three single teachers who fled from the school compound. Four of the students who began the rampage on Friday evening have been charged by police. More are expected to be arrested soon. “It has become a habit for students to turn on teachers and the school when the administration takes action on them on disciplinary matters,” he said. “Alcohol abuse by students is widespread and when the school takes action, the students become defensive. “This is totally unacceptable behaviour and police will not hesitate to arrest and charge students who misbehave.” Poma, who is a former student of the school, said he would discuss with the school and education officials in Wewak about removing the male boarders from the school dormitories. “If this group of students cannot behave, they may as well be day students and can get drunk at home,” he said. “We cannot keep them at the school and posing a threat to teachers.” Provincial education advisor Joseph Auli said he would comment on the incident late STUDENTS have returned to classes as academic and administrative functions at the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae returned to normal yesterday. The graduation ceremony will be held on May 16 because of the month-long boycott of classes by students and staff to bring back Vice-Chancellor Dr Albert Schram . Schram said Chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan would confer the degrees on graduates.
“The students have been peaceful in their demonstrations and have convinced the government to do the right thing, after the Chancellor and staff organisations publicly came out endorsing my position as Vice-Chancellor,” Schram said. “We thank Higher Education Minister Delilah Gore and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Kerenga Kua for their help and support in this process. “Chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan is now chairing a legally-constituted council and he will confer the degrees. “Unitech’s academic board has discussed and approved a modified academic almanac for this year. “The academic board is the supreme decision-making body in all academic affairs. It is not the council or the Vice-Chancellor.” The Bogan-led council appointed Professor Muhammed Satter as acting vice-chancellor until Schram took over last Thursday. “I am currently considering who will be part of the management team,” Schram said. A submission will be presented to the Government concerning the most pressing issues affecting teachers in the country.
This was announced by the Papua New Guinea Teachers Association or PNGTA hierarchy today PNGTA National General Secretary Ugwalubu Mowana, National President Tommy Hecko and Vice President Kila Avei attended the press conference. PNGTA also assured its members that the Association is well and alive and is right behind them on issues concerning teachers welfare. PNGTA executives convened this afternoon for the first time to announce that they are keeping a close tag on what has transpired on issues affecting teachers. This comes after teachers in Southern Region met with the Parliamentary Committee on Education last week and called for the abolishment of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the PNGTA. PNGTA National General Secretary Ugwalubu Mowana said the Union will ensure all enquires conducted by the Committee is implemented to solve some of these pressing issues.Insert. The submission will assist the Committee to establish a transparent and accountable delivery of teachers entitlements and other critical issues. The submission will be lodge to the committee tomorrow 4th of April. A 5 week boycott ended today as the embattled Unitech vice chancellor arrived to a rousing welcome by more than 300 students who waited for his arrival in the hot sun at Lae's Nadzab Airport.
There were jubilant scenes today in Lae as students celebrated the return of Dr. Albert Schram. “Boycott officially ends today,” says Unitech Student Representative Council, Eddie Nagual. Dr. Albert Schram is back as the Papua New Guinea University of Technology’s, Vice Chancellor, a post he always had. A court order had stopped him to take it up. But, its all over, the students have got what they want, and the University will open tomorrow. “We are very happy to be back, with the united effort by Unitech, we can open a new chapter,” says Vice Chancellor, Dr. Albert Schram. The administration building has been opened, and management will finally start, what has been a five-week halt of their institutes core business of educating. The PNG and Australian Governments this week, opened newly upgraded health and education facilities in Milne Bay Province, improving access to these services for people in remote areas.
The projects worth more than K19 million, includes new and upgraded facilities at Milne Bay Provincial Hospital, an aid post and staff houses on Sideia Island, and classrooms and staff houses at Santa Maria High School. Minister, Development Cooperation at the Australian High Commission, Stuart Schaefer, commended the leadership that was provided, to bring the projects to completion. “Australia recognizes that good leadership is a prerequisite for lasting development in Papua New Guinea, Mr. Schaefer said. The K10 million work at the Milne Bay Provincial Hospital included:
The Sideia Health Centre received K5.2 million for five new furnished staff houses, a new furnished and equipped health centre building, new ante-natal and post-natal waiting house and an upgrade to its water supply. Santa Maria High School at Watuluma, received K4.4 million for a new administration building, classrooms, VSAT installation, 2 staff houses, school clinic, and market, and the procurement of furniture, equipment and teaching aid. “Internationally, investing in a girl’s education delivers immense economic and social benefits. It is the single most important activity that any country can support,” said Mr Schaefer. Since the year 2000, the PNG-Australia Incentive Fund, has built more than K350 million in health and education infrastructure, creating an environment for better service delivery for Papua New Guineans. Mr Schaefer, Minister for National Planning and Alotau MP Hon. Charles Abel, and Milne Bay Governor Hon Titus Philemon, opened the K10 million facilities at the Milne Bay Provincial Hospital. Education Department and TSC to be summoned by Parliamentary Committee over teachers' concerns3/31/2014
The Education Department and the Teaching Services Commission, will be summoned by the Special Parliamentary Committee on Education, to clarify serious teacher concerns.
This is after Teachers nationwide asked the Special Parliamentary Committee on Education, to abolish the Teachers Service Commission, and place all teachers under the Public Service Commission. This call was made today at the PNG Education Institute in Port Moresby by over a thousand teachers from the Southern region. This meeting now concludes the committee’s investigation tour on teachers’ welfare this year. Insufficient housing allowance levels have resulted in many teachers’ throughout the country, in residing in classrooms and squatter settlements. They argued that this was among the many challenges they faced, that contributed to poor teacher performance, resulting in poor academic results. Other concerns included salary increment, incentives to complement teachers’ performances, particularly with the extra work load with the introduction of the free education policy, travel arrangements for their spouses and children, and incentives for them as well. These were the same issues raised by their colleagues in the Highlands, Islands and Momase regions. All these boiled down to the abolishment of the Teachers Service Commission. The teachers called on the Special Parliamentary Committee on Education, to include them in the public service commission, so that they too enjoy the benefits that other public servants in the various departments enjoy. Retired teachers also attended this meeting. They argued that the committee must review the process and procedures of teachers’ salaries, and other entitlements, including retirement money, as many are still waiting for their overdue claims. Teachers from the church run schools also urged the committee to include them in the public service commission. The committee will furnish a report and present to parliament in the May sitting. Prior to this, they will meet with the Department of Education, to present a resolution, summing up all the concerns raised by over 10 thousand teachers nationwide. They promised the teachers that their concerns will be addressed promptly. The Government’s tuition fee free (TFF) policy should be implemented by schools and their respective boards in East New Britain, acting deputy provincial administrator Wilson Matava said.
He said the policy must be embraced and supported by the provincial government and administration through the education division and implemented in schools. He highlighted the message during a meeting between secondary school principals, boards of governors and chairmen and provincial administration to iron out issues related to TFF and overcharging of project fees by schools. Matava said the purpose of the meeting was to find out why principals and boards charged and collected fees beyond the K200 project fee limit set by the Government through the provincial education board. Matava said the administration understood the extra charges were meant for uniforms, but formal notices endorsed by the PEB had gone out to schools not to charge uniform fees as it was against the TFF policy. Kokopo secondary, Malabunga secondary, Utmei secondary, Maltech secondary, Kambubu high, OLSH Vunapope secondary and Vuvu secondary agreed to refund money paid above K200 to parents after reconciliation of their accounts by mid this year. All government schools were to receive 40% payment of their school subsidies in February except Kambubu secondary while the remaining 60% was expected by the end of July. Matava sympathised with schools that required more funding to expand vital projects and meet the demands of enrolment. TEACHERS teaching at Lihir Islands School have called on the authorities to investigate the payment of the Mining Enclave Allowance (MEA) that has not been paid to them.
In a press statement last week, teachers want the 5% MEA payment paid to their salaries. They said the investigation should also find out why teachers on the island were not paid the allowance, which had been paid to public servants in resource project areas since 1995, when it was approved by the Government. Otis Moab, head master of the Londolovit Urban Primary School, said: “Every year, teachers on the island have been commencing the school year by filling out Mining Enclave Allowance claim forms along with their resumption duty forms but they have never received this allowance in their salaries.” |
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