Technical and vocational education must be prioritized in Papua New Guinearsquo;s basic education system.
Minister for Education James Marape drover this strong message tothe members ofthe new National Education Beard attheir swearing in ceremony held in Port Moresby.
A total of 31 members were sworn-in yesterday as elected members ofthe National Education Beard.
The membership was made up of distinguished individuals from education & business sectors, churches and women’s representatives.
It wasthe first time to have on board a member fromthe higher education sector.
Minister Marape’saidthe inclusion for Prof. David Kavanamur onthe Beard was a strategy to bringthe higher and lower education sectors togther.
Minister Marape’s emphasis was however on gettingthe new Beard to take onthe technical and vocational education agenda.
“You look atthe employment market,there’s no enough space for lawyers and accountants,” Marape toldthe Education Department Beard.
“You must create more tradesmen, more carpenters, more plumbers, more mechanics, more welders&hellipthese arethe drivers,the blue collar workmen and women who will drivethe economy and change this economy.”
“So when I talk about ‘T’ word, Education Departmentoyou don’t sit back and hold back on pushing ‘T’ word agenda.”
Beard Chairman and acting Secretary for Education Dr. Michael Tapo said much ofthe Educations policies would be dependent on this very Beard, and he urgedthe members to collaborate to deliver quality education tothe people.
Minister Marape’said withthe Millennium Development Goals reachingtheir deadlinePNG’still has a long way to go in making basic education accessible.
The net enrolment rate in basic education currently stands at 73%, with still one-quarter oPNG’s young children not in classrooms.
&ldquoIn light of allthese constraints; instead of sitting back and complaining that we are not capacitated and we lack resources, how do you and me bring on innovations and new ideas,” said Marape.
The new Beard members madetheir oaths to givetheir expertise and assistthe sector.
