Mt. Hagen Technical College Board of Governors raised frustrations on the slowness of the College to become a Polytechnical Institute.
They are urging the Government to fund more infrastructure to meet the standard of a polytech institute.
On their 44th Graduation last week, School Principal, Michael Sapao said they felt betrayed when Chimbu became the first Highlands Province to receive Polytech.
Mt. Hagen Tech was recently announced as a Polytech Institute. But taking a glance around the campus, the classrooms and dormitories are old.
The building posts are rusty and rotten,and the inside of the buildings are damaged. Despite the condition, the school did not give up.
They managed to complete the year by graduating a total of 230 students with diploma certificates in 5 different trades.
According to ths Government’s Education Policy, there must be one technical college per province; however, PNG currently has 14 National colleges.
There must also be one polytechnical college per region and a community college per district.
PNG still have a long way to go to meet its policy demand. Principal Sapao said the school had a successful year through the hard work of the teachers and their students.
So far, a workshop, two dormitories, an administrative building, and few classrooms have been built by the students.
The College is currently under the Government’s TVET policy.
When it is elevated to a polytech, it will be under the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.
This will see students graduating with Degree certificates in trades work, such as electrical trades, carpentry, diesel heavy equipment fitting among others.
