Data vital to develop information, knowledge, says Apelis

 DATA is the fundamental foundation of any information, from data you develop information that can be translated into knowledge and we can use that knowledge for the benefit of our children, Dr Eliakim Apelis says.

Department of Education first assistant secretary for curriculum and standards Apelis told appointment officers during the Master Position Register workshop in Madang that they were now in a world of technology and computers and it was vital that the department improve its data system so records of all schools, teachers and students were kept for the better delivery of education services.

He said the Government had shown its commitment to education with the introduction of different policies and it now needed to embrace the importance of keeping proper records of its data.

Apelis said policies like the Tuition Fee Free policy, the Compulsory Education Policy and the Exiting of the Outcomes-Based Education all needed a proper education database.

Teaching Services Commission Commissioner for Operations Mathew Pobaya said without teachers this country would never progress. 

He said there had been an increase in the number of teachers in the country over the years, which had made annual appointments of teachers by the provincial and national boards become ineffective.