THE prime minister has confirmed that the Government is looking at bringing in teachers from overseas to improve the standard of mathematics and science in schools.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was speaking in Parliament yesterday after East Sepik Governor Allan Bird said that poor pass rates had prevented the University of PNG from filling up the quota for its medical school.
Late last year, Education Minister Nick Kuman announced he was looking at recruting science and maths teachers from India.
“Reports have indicated that our maths and science results have dropped,”Kuman said when he made the announcement.
On Wednesday, Personnel Management Secretary John Kali said he was looking at Australians to teach English here.
Kali will soon take up a new posting as high commissioner to Australia based in Canberra.
Bird said that according to the University of Papua New Guinea, last year’s science foundation students did not meet the expected quota for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme at the medical school.
“This, I believe, is due to the quality of education the Government provides and it’s a serious concerns,” he said.
But O’Neill blamed the poor results on the lack of specialist
mathematics and science teachers in secondary and high schools.
“Previously, the University of Goroka (UOG) was specifically for training (such) teachers,” O’Neill said.
“They train specialist teachers who have bachelor’s degrees in maths, science, English and other subjects to teach.
“This, however, has now been generalised as we have the programme at the university changed to offer other courses.
“This is an issue the Government will look into to ensure that UOG trains teachers who are specialists in a particular subject and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in that subject and not generalised.”
Kali said the level of English language skills was so poor that he had to rewrite reports by civil servants in his department.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was speaking in Parliament yesterday after East Sepik Governor Allan Bird said that poor pass rates had prevented the University of PNG from filling up the quota for its medical school.
Late last year, Education Minister Nick Kuman announced he was looking at recruting science and maths teachers from India.
“Reports have indicated that our maths and science results have dropped,”Kuman said when he made the announcement.
On Wednesday, Personnel Management Secretary John Kali said he was looking at Australians to teach English here.
Kali will soon take up a new posting as high commissioner to Australia based in Canberra.
Bird said that according to the University of Papua New Guinea, last year’s science foundation students did not meet the expected quota for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme at the medical school.
“This, I believe, is due to the quality of education the Government provides and it’s a serious concerns,” he said.
But O’Neill blamed the poor results on the lack of specialist
mathematics and science teachers in secondary and high schools.
“Previously, the University of Goroka (UOG) was specifically for training (such) teachers,” O’Neill said.
“They train specialist teachers who have bachelor’s degrees in maths, science, English and other subjects to teach.
“This, however, has now been generalised as we have the programme at the university changed to offer other courses.
“This is an issue the Government will look into to ensure that UOG trains teachers who are specialists in a particular subject and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in that subject and not generalised.”
Kali said the level of English language skills was so poor that he had to rewrite reports by civil servants in his department.
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