by Colleen Barilae – EM TV News, Lae
Opposition Leader, Don Polye, has called for an improvement of education standards in the country.
His comment was targeted at the National Government’s rushed moves on the free education policy and shift in curriculum.
Polye also questioned why millions of kina were allocated on infrastructure alone, with less focus in the education sector.
The Opposition Leader was very critical of education standards which he says, has already, placed Papua New Guinea on the road to a dark future.
Mr Polye stressed on quality oriented education that should be the root of any system implemented in a country.
However, with limited resources, many of them aren’t achievable.
The free education policy has attracted massive student enrolments.
However, inadequate facilities and lack of resources, including teaching and learning materials and training, continue to compound the problem.
This year the education department announced the out-phasing of examinations, beginning with grade 8s this year, and grade 10s next year.
All of which, Polye says, calls into question the current quality and level of education standards.