Schools in New Ireland have been forced to turn away students due to a delay in the release of government tuition fee subsidy (GTFS) funds, an official said.
Felix Kaltubim, Chairman of the New Ireland Education Board, on Thursday urged the Education Department to expedite the release of the funds to enable students to resume classes. "Education Minister Lucas Dekena announced a week ago that K212 million for the second quarter had been released, yet schools in New Ireland have not received their share of the funding," Kaltubim said. "Where is the hold-up, and how soon can our schools receive their funding?" Madang, Papua New Guinea – In a commendable initiative to mark Media Freedom Day on Friday, May 3rd, Communication Arts students from Divine Word University (DWU) visited three primary schools and one secondary school in Madang town. The event was held under the global theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of Environmental Crisis” and aimed to raise awareness about environmental issues through the power of journalism. The DWU students conducted educational programs at Kusbau Primary School, Tusbab Secondary School, Holy Spirit Primary School, and Lutheran Day Primary School, focusing on how local communities can report and respond to environmental crises. Education Minister Lucas Dekena has attributed the pay issues affecting hundreds of teachers to the “incompetency” of provincial education authorities. He assured that efforts are underway to reinstate these teachers on the payroll promptly. Dekena stated that more than 1,000 teachers were put on auto suspension because their Resumption of Duty Summary Sheets (RODSS) were not actioned early as expected. “I have instructed the Education Secretary, Dr. Uke Kombra, to restore the affected teachers back on the payroll and give the provinces one month to fix the teachers' resumption information,” he said. In a bid to enhance the nation's media landscape and foster collaboration between academia and the government, the Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Timothy Masiu, has proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Journalism and Public Relations strand of the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).
During a gathering to commemorate World Press Freedom Day on Friday, May 3, Minister Masiu commended the resilience and dedication of the UPNG Journalism and Public Relations program in shaping the next generation of journalists and communicators. He emphasized the critical role of a free press and free media in upholding truth, justice, and accountability in society. In a sobering assessment of Papua New Guinea's education system, the World Bank has highlighted significant hurdles impeding the nation's development. The latest report, titled "Papua New Guinea Economic Update: Invest in Your Children," underscores critical deficiencies that threaten the country's future prosperity.
A startling revelation from the report indicates that a staggering 72 per cent of ten-year-olds in Papua New Guinea struggle to comprehend age-appropriate texts, signaling a profound crisis in literacy and foundational education. Papua New Guinea Pioneers Digital Path for Non-School Leaver Applications in Higher Education5/6/2024
In a groundbreaking move set to revolutionize the higher education landscape, the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, Technology, and Sports has announced the digitization of the selection process for non-school leavers commencing this academic year, 2025. This monumental shift signifies a pivotal moment in enhancing accessibility to higher education institutions (HEIs) across Papua New Guinea.
The introduction of the National Online Selection System (NOSS) and National Online Application System (NOAS) expansion to incorporate non-school leavers represents a significant milestone in higher education accessibility. The move aims to streamline the selection process, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and accountability in student admissions. In a concerted effort to bolster the education sector, the National Government has earmarked a total of K212,497,575.00 million to be disbursed to commercial banks this month, with the intention of supporting schools under the National Education System for the second quarter of the 2024 academic year.
Despite the government's investment of millions of kina in tuition fee subsidies over the years, a recent World Bank report has unveiled disheartening education outcomes for Papua New Guinea, rendering the expenditure seemingly futile.
The findings of the World Bank report paint a grim picture of the nation's education landscape, starkly contrasting the substantial financial allocations directed towards education. One alarming statistic reveals that an estimated 72 percent of ten-year-olds lack the ability to read and comprehend age-appropriate texts, highlighting a significant literacy deficit among young learners. Payroll Officer Sentenced to Jail for Misappropriating Funds Meant for Children's Education5/1/2024
In a recent ruling, a national court has handed down a significant sentence to Bradley Tuvi, a payroll officer formerly associated with Book Bilong Pikinini (BBP), a non-governmental organization aimed at enhancing early childhood education. Tuvi, hailing from Ramale village in Kokopo, East New Britain, has been sentenced to six years with hard labor for misappropriating K133,189.79 intended for improving children's literacy through early learning initiatives. Judge Nicholas Miviri presided over the case and emphasized the severity of Tuvi's actions, highlighting the detrimental impact on BBP's mission and the children it serves. The court heard that Tuvi, during his tenure from January 1, 2017, to April 30, 2018, deposited 71 cheques totaling K618,398.09 into various accounts. It was revealed that Tuvi personally benefited from K133,189.79 of these funds, diverting them for his own use. The University of Queensland (UQ) recently extended a warm welcome to a visiting delegation from Papua New Guinea (PNG) during a reception held in Brisbane. The event served as a platform for fostering academic and diplomatic ties between the two nations. Hon. Don Polye, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, alongside Hon. Lucas Dekena, Minister for Education, led the PNG delegation in engaging discussions with UQ's academic community. Among the distinguished attendees was Ian Kemish, former Australian High Commissioner to PNG and Adjunct Professor of History at UQ, adding a significant diplomatic dimension to the gathering. |
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