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An innovative approach
I REFER to the letter “Anti-Matane
education reform” (The National, June 15).
The Matane Report is an integral human development approach
reflecting our cultures and traditions from villages to towns.
The Outcome Based Education (OBE) curriculum based on the Matane
Report is a new approach focusing on the developing learning
standard in the country.
The curriculum was implemented in most primary schools throughout
the country in 2005. This also applies to elementary schools.
Since the curriculum is flexible, it can be implanted at any
grade, from E1 to Grade 8. The EP students are the pioneer group
of this reform.
The writer’s statement is misleading. In EP-E1, it is
vernacular-based with students learning the surrounding
environment and its features so that the learner master the
language and the level of learning do change.
In E2, the level is higher with the introduction of mild bridging.
At Grade 3 (primary education), the bridging takes effect and the
student now learns to master the common language (English).
However, the vernacular is still being used until Grade 5. The
topics are the same but the sub-topics and levels of learning are
different.
The bilingual/bridging is to create a Papua New Guinean version
English or in some cases, identify it. Since English is a flexible
and a growing language with updates and a lot of characteristics,
it is best for a learner to master the local vernacular language.
The OBE is not written by foreigners but by our own educationists.
Karis George,
Morobe Special Education Resource Centre, Lae
 
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