Dept launches new policy

DEVELOPING a child at an early age is important for nation building, says Education Minster Jimmy Uguro.
Uguro said this on Friday during the launching of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy in Port Moresby.
He said in order to help develop a child, a teacher should know the child and impart the right knowledge to the child.
Uguro thanked the Government, former education ministers and other stakeholders for their support.
Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra said this was the first time that ECE was recognised by the government.
Dr Kombra said the policy was approved by Cabinet and was going to be imparted into the education system with work started in 2017.
He said preschools would have either an ECE kindergarten 1, kindergarten 2 and a preschool or as currently practiced an elementary school that had grades 1 and 2 in primary schools.
Dr Kombra said prep would remain as part of the preschool.
“The model we are looking at now is either a preschool with kindergarten 1, kindergarten 2 and prep or just the prep,” he said.
“The elementary school in the primary school system is going to be phased out to be replaced by preschools under the ECE policy.”
Dr Kombra said presently across the country, there were a lot of early childhood schools which were operated by churches, non-governmental organisations, schools, and by individuals as businesses.
“We have so many early childhood schools nationwide, unfortunately, they are fragmented with no single policy to guide it,” he said.