MINISTER for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Malakai Tabar says the increase in the minimum grading point average (GPA) in some tertiary institutions this year was created systematically. Tabar said one of the reasons why people and especially parents misunderstood the increase in GPA and the selection process was that the situation was created by the system itself. “Over the recent years, the number of Grade 12 graduates has been increasing at a faster rate than the number of TESAS (Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme) scholarships offered by the Government. “For example, in 2015 the number of Grade 12 students increased by approximately 10 per cent over the previous year, while the number of TESAS scholarships decreased by 10 per cent. “And also the existing capacities in our tertiary institutions are limited, the competition to enter into those spaces is very high so the minimum GPA was based on the competition,” he said. Tabar said a student’s qualifying GPA did not automatically lead to their programme admission or a TESAS scholarship. “A student qualifying GPA means they are eligible for programme admission, not guaranteed admission. “Final programme admission is based on the institutions’ capacity and the student’s subject combination, merit and preference choice compared to other students. “For instance, if the minimum requirement to enter into a study programme at Unitech was 3.0 and the space available is only 20, but 50 students applied as their first preference. “Then that department will only be able to accept 20 students starting from the highest GPA until when it short-listed 20 students already, the rest are dropped. “Even though some student may have scored a GPA of 3.2 while the minimum requirement for that study programme was 3.0, they may be left out because those students who were short-listed may have scored above 3.5.” “That’s exactly what happens in the tertiary students’ selection,” he said. Tabar said depending on the number of students applying for the programme at an institution, the minimum requirements also change with respect to spaces available and the number of students who applied. “The other factor was the combination of the subjects studied at the secondary and national high schools. “For instance, if two students scored A in Physics, B in English, B in Chemistry and one of them scored B in Math B whilst the other scored B in Math A. “Both applied for an engineering course at Unitech (University of Technology), though they have the same GPA, preference would be given to the one who studied Math A at the secondary school. “That is for students putting their first choices and for those who made that as their second or third choice, it’s hardly considered.” “So it all depends on the current situation of high number of grade 12 graduates, limited spaces available in tertiary institutions and the subsequent higher competition created. “That’s why, we are trying to introduce the open university concept next year so that we can be able to address this problem of competition,” Tabar said. The National / PNG Education News
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Papua New Guinea education news services: Get Free Webpage for your School. Send us your School Profile now
>> STUDY IN PNG Follow PNG Online School |