The ongoing election related unrest in Southern Highlands Province has forced the National Education Department to stop the conducting of this year’s National Examinations for Grades 8, 10 and 12 students from the Nipa basin.
National Education Secretary, Dr. Uke Kombra said after careful assessments and consultation on the situation, a decision has been executed because of the incomplete academic year.
“The minimum requirement for the instructional hours is incomplete. Therefore we have decided not to give the exams for this year,” he said.
However instead internal marks will be used to assess students’ academic performance to determine their continuation.
For Grades 8 and 10, students will proceed to the next grade in the 2018 academic year.
“We don’t want a back log of student in 2018. If we allow them to repeat, they will proceed,” Dr. Kombra told EMTV News.
However for Grade 12s, they have been allowed to repeat term three in the 2018 academic year to cater for their instruction hours.
“Grade 12, will sit for their exam in 2018. Opportunities and facilities will be provided for this exercise,” he said.
Also Dr Kombra has refuted claims by the Southern Highlands Deputy Provincial Administrator, Michael Ariando, published in one of the daily newspapers that exams are a choice with students given options.
Dr. Kombra maintains issues with education curriculum and examinations are a direct responsibility of the National Education Secretary and the National Education Minister.
“Instructions given by the Deputy Administrator is invalid,”
Dr Kombra said students are not allowed to sit for their exams in other schools unless arrangement is made prior to the gazetted dates.
Only registered and approved schools are permitted to deliver the exams based on their enrolment.
“Based on formal arrangements, we can then send exam papers to these schools. But for now, it’s not allowed,”
Meanwhile, students of two schools in Simbu province will be repeating the academic year next year.
“The Simbu Provincial Education Board has suspended Karamui and Mount Wilhelm secondary schools. They will not sit for their national examinations until the 2018 academic year,” Kombra said.
