Niningi eyes single management body for tertiary centres

By ELIAS LARI
ALL government-owned tertiary institutions will be under one umbrella in order to provide professional management to cater for their needs and raise learning standards, minister responsible Pila Niningi says.
Niningi, the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology said this in Mt Hagen on Monday, adding that the plan would help his department determine the best kind of support for these institutions and appoint qualified lecturers to teach in them.
Niningi said that currently government-run institutions were under respective departments and it has been difficult to identify their real funding needs.
For instance, agricultural colleges are looked after by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock while nursing colleges are under the Department of Health.
“Under my portfolio I would like to bring all institutions under one umbrella so that we can know their functions and needs.
“It is a very simple way to develop and extend these institutions, that’s when they all come under one umbrella.”
Niningi said that once all institutions were united under the single umbrella, he would then look at employing lecturers with master’s and doctorate degrees to teach.
“I have a vision and that
is make the higher education rise,” he said.