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by Dr MICHAEL
UNAGE
Free education is a political gimmick
DURING a political rally in Simbu, Prime
Minister Sir Michael Somare committed K100 million for free education
this year even though schooling had already begun.
Most parents would surely wish that the policy was in place five years
ago and not implemented only now, months ahead of the general election.
Not surprisingly, most people believe that the move is aimed at
attracting votes.
More so when the announcement contradicts a statement just days earlier
by Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye that it was difficult for the
Government to implement a free education policy as it would cost about
K1 billion.
Polye went on to say that it was easy to sway people with such populist
policies but the fact remained that they would be difficult to sustain
in the long term and that other important areas of development may
suffer as a result.
There would also be a loss of fiscal discipline, macroeconomic
stability, stable exchange rate, depletion of foreign reserves and
inflation would automatically surge and interest rates increase, he
warned.
These would result in economic recession again but this time it could be
far worse, he said.
Similar sentiments have been expressed by Usino-Bundi MP Peter Yama who
said there would be serious economic problems if the Government
implemented free education.
Former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta also promised that his PNG
Party would introduce free education if elected.
His reasoning was simple: parents are struggling to pay the fees and the
Government should help.
He told a rally in Goroka that it would easy to find the money for
school fees.
As an economic reformist, he believes the monetary component was not a
problem, if the country could properly manage the resources it has.
Both Sir Michael and Sir Mekere spoke during their campaign trail.
One can conclude that the topic of free education is always delivered
during an election year and never a constructive human resource policy
during the tenure of the governments.
For this reason, I have always mentioned that free education is not a
constructive human capacity-building policy but a demagogy.
First, it is a manipulative technique used by politicians to gain
political support during elections to take advantage of the people’s
vulnerability (cash poverty).
Second, to my knowledge, free education does more harm to learning than
fostering quality education by making responsible agents become more
indolent.
The people have already experienced the failed free education policy of
the now-defunct People’s Democratic Party.
Money was not forthcoming from Waigani to the schools.
In some schools, parents were asked to pay up or see the schools close
down.
Unable to deliver, and perhaps from embarrassment, the free education
scheme was not sustained.
It was the same story in Southern Highlands.
It is easy to promise free education. The real problem is in the
delivery.
Sir Michael’s announcement, after school had begun and parents have paid
the minimum required, reflects poorly on the type of leaders we have.
It suggests that we plan things on the spur of the moment.
Were people in the policy division of the Education Department consulted
on the viability of the policy?
Free education does not solve the problems of human resources
development in PNG.
The money component is only one aspect of wide-ranging issues concerning
the disintegration of the education system.
The implementation of free education can be regarded as a piecemeal
solution and not a comprehensive manner in addressing significant
educational outcomes for the country.
Those issues are discussed in Reviewing
Education Process, my book which will be out early next month.
There are pressing educational issues the Government needs to address
and not the demagogy of free education.
For instance, statistics show that out of every seven-year-old child
enrolled, two do not have a place in class. This already is a great
injustice done to children.
Free education only supports those in school whereas the majority of
children are not benefiting from the money.
To do justice to those denied, the Government needs to build several
thousands more schools.
Apathy in learning has been another problem since formal education has
been introduced into the country, and an area where government policy is
required.
One of the serious reasons for PNG having a huge illiterate population
is the indifferent attitude towards learning.
Thus, free education seems to enhance this problem in one way or
another.
In the Southern Highlands, graduates from secondary schools find it
difficult to earn places in universities.
Last year, only nine students from the province were successful.
Conversely, Goroka Secondary School alone has sent 36 students to
universities.
The conclusion drawn is that students in the Southern Highlands, as a
result of free education, reflect apathy and which can impair cognitive
ability. Even parents seem to be liabilities of the state.
A free education policy needs a lot of preparation and planning before
it can be introduced.
It should not be used as a political gimmick which can have destructive
consequences on the learning process of students.
There have been a lot of negative forecast in the way the education
system is working, where the education institutions ceased being the
builder of human capacity.
There is fear that in 10 years, this country would have a huge
population of illiterate people with malnourished minds.
 
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