By Delly Bagu – EM TV, Port Moresby
Preparations are underway to establish the PNG Open University.
The university is a direct intervention by the government to decrease the alarming number of grade 12 school leavers who do not make it to tertiary institutions.
Minister for Higher National News, Research, Science and Technology, Malakai Tabar said the concept of the PNG Open University will be brought to cabinet soon.
Member for Ijivitari, David Arore, asked Tabar on what had become of the PNG Open University concept.
As the then-minister responsible for higher education, Mr Arore said that in 2013, the government came up with the PNG Open University concept as part of direct intervention to alleviate the high number of grade 12 school leavers.
K5 million was appropriated to establish the university.
Minister Tabar said preparations are underway. They would like to trial a program that will see students registered to existing tertiary institutions without being there physically. But there are technical challenges.
Mr Tabar said a meeting has been scheduled for this week, with the heads of higher institutions, to revisit the PNG Open University concept and make a submission to parliament.
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