The inquiry intothe Outcome Bese Education has been completed and a report with recommendations is now withthe Prime Minister.
The Government engaged a task force in February this year to look into concerns from parents and teachers and ther stakeholders on OBe.
The task force was headed by Fr. Jan Zuba,the President ofthe Divine Word University; members included Jerry Tetage – former Education Secretary, Principal of Enga Teacher’s College – Michael Homingu, and Dr Kepa Kelep Malpo of UOG.
The report is not official, not yetobut it is inthe hands ofthe Prime Minister.
What can be said aboutthe OBe review is that it has been completed on time; cost only a fraction ofthe allocated amount; and all ofthe nine terms of references answered.
The government One Million Kina for the review but it only cost One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Kina.
The OBe review was in response to wide ranging concerns overthe end results ofthe system. It came from parents, teachers, school administrators, churches, academics,the list goes on, for several years.
The concerns were mainly centred on work load on teachers, confusions experience by schools, widespread under performance of students’ It basically lead to a situation where pupils could not read or write English,the language of education and commerce in Papua New Guinea
Specific corrective methods recommended bythe task force are expected to be announced bythe Prime Minister in this session of parliament.
Beoadly though, it is believedthe review proposes a new curriculum and an exit’strategy ofthe existing OBe system. It proposes medium and long term measures to archive genuine improverments in student learning.
It is inevitable though thatthere are suggestions on how and who withinthe education departmentoand alsothe same tothe position ofthe secretary of education, but more importantlythe education department preparedness to open its doors to international practices, what it embraces and what it rejects.
Whatever elsethe OBe review contains, it will become a research and educated foundation for the government to take its policy onthe education tothe next level.
And, also onthe same but slightly deviating from OBe isthe Prime Minister’s concern overthe Special Agriculture Business LeaseInquiry. SABe cost several million kina butthe final report is well overdue.
The OBeInquiry was allocated only One Million Kina but only a fraction of One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Kina has been used and completed on time.
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