EDUCATE A WOMEN WHO ARE MOTHERS OF OUR FUTURE - WOMEN SCHOOL FEES SHOULD BE FREE By: David Levi As academic year begins for 2021, our children and parents are in dilemma! Read this case study based on real stories. Sarah not only finished top in Notre Dame Girls High School but is amongst the few who topped the Grade 12 examination in the country. Sarah was already a bright student in community school and everyone knew Sarah would go places. Sarah lost her mother to breast cancer when she was only 12. Her father, Namba, had to perform responsibilities of both mother and father and raised Sarah and her two younger brothers single handedly. It was very difficult for Namba. But it was also a telling moment for Namba, who was occasionally the village 'harmbug man' or a trouble maker came to terms with the startling reality and made a U-turn in his life for his children's sake. Namba refused to remarry and became a good Christian and devoted his entire time fending for his children. With abundance fertile land and the good Nebilyer climate Namba worked the land growing vegetables and raise pigs - prized commodity in the highlands- to support his family. Now African Swine Flu is hitting the upper highlands Namba and many families here are counting the cost which is compounding with the Covid-19 restrictions. It has been a worse year for farmers throughout the country.
Namba could not sell one pig as the school year is approaching fast for Sarah to go to university. Uncertainty in having a child going to school looms in the country for families sharing the Sarah's family fate. The Free Tuition (TFT) or free education was a vital program that essentially bridged the gap between the 'haves and the have nots' to equally access tertiary education. The short sighted decision by the men in the ivory towers, whose children enjoying school overseas, in abolishing free education will now deprive many young smart Papua New Guineans to go to school. For a poor parent a good education for his/her children is everything. The success of the child in school, work and life is often shared by many. When one’s living hand to mouth, education often times is not in their priority list. As long as they have food on the table and will be able to survive another day, it’s good enough for them. For Namba, sending his daughter to school is everything. Sarah refuses to believe that subsistence farming would be her fate. Unless free education is restored many Papua New Guineans will fall out from the education system and the disparity between the rich and the poor will continue to grow unabated. Free education should never be an item on the 'short term pain and long term gain" list of sacrifice simply because missing out on life's opportunity due to lack of school fee is a lifetime loss to human capital development. Our country's population rate has doubled over the years and it will be a time bomb in itself if we don't educate and plan for our future generations. We need to invest in human resource development simply because only educated and skilled people in this country are bound to progress the nation forward in every sectors of economy. Look at another scenario here in Port Moresby. My office is situated along a busy street of Kakaruk King in Boroko, it's a pity for me to say this but every day and night I see and hear quite whispers of the term " NEW RECRUITS" It refers to beatiful school age lass hanging out on the street for a quikie just to earn a little fee for their living. Is this what we call "USER PAY POLICY " for black market sex industry which we can't ignore to regulate in the city? It's happening under my eyes because our daughters are now finding it difficult to go to school or are simply looking for feed or basic necessities they need to provide for themselves. Hear the church goers going to church and preached about sexual immorality then they see a girl in need appears at their doorstep and yet, the so-called christians shut the doors infront of them calling them "PAMUK" or filthy Devil Angels! Hello! These sex angels are created in the image of God so allow time to hear from them why they are practicing sexual immorality. Perhaps those Black Angles will tell you their various reasons why they indulge in such illicit promiscuous activity. As POLICY MAKERS ,We don't need let them fend for a lousy K100 and provide them with condoms everytime under the auspices of National Aids Council ( NACS). The Sex Workers will continue to do the same but the government needs to provide them with life long skills by educating them so they become useful citizens. It is a combine responsibity of our government and parents to to invest now for our children's future. We need to build more schools and educates them to be useful . In that way, it can save the country from building more prisons and hospitals. Our Prisons will be full of uneducated people roaming the streets and inflicting pain to others in the quest of survival of the fittest and obvioulsly we will expect to find our hospital mortuary and sick beds filled with victims of all kinds of the dreadful diseases steaming out of crimes and poverty. AN EDUCATED POPULATION IS WHAT THE NATION NEED. THE SHORT TERM PAIN WILL LEAVE A HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR FOR LONG TERM PAIN. Let's protect and educate our women population. They are mothers of our future generation. Next : PNG Tertiary Student Loans : Recurring Problems Since 2001 Share your Inspirational Stories, Education Issues, Education Talk. Let your voice be heard: Send us your stories to us: email : pngedunews@gmail.com Share this
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