Digital education

LAST week, Minister for DHERST Pila Niningi was reported as praising Papua New Guinea’s first steps into digital education.
That’s a lie.
PNG is no way near digital education when compared to our neighbours in the region, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia

and Fiji. PNG should not be compared with developed countries like the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan because those countries are hundreds of years old in terms of civilisation and industrialisation.
PNG is only 43 years old from 1975. Nevertheless, there’s no point in PNG lacking behind in digital technology if our neighbours Indonesia and Singapore can advance in digitalisation.
Back to Minister Niningi’s comment on the issue of digital education for PNG, he only has to visit his own state universities – University of Papua New Guinea, PNG University of Techonoly and University of Goroka – to see for himself. Divine Word University and DWU and Pacific Adventist University are church-run universities and Niningi should not boast about success in e-learning at those private universities while the so-called state universities are in a serious digital divide.
As the minister responsible for higher education, research science and technology, his ministry should prioritise digital education in universities.
This can include free internet connectivity and free on-campus WiFi for UPNG and others.
At the moment, UPNG, for example, has no free online or internet connection and students have to buy 60MB at K3 a day from Digicel. What digital education is the minister praising?
Apec this year is looking at the digital future and digital economy. How can the minister justify his stand before the other 21 plus Apec member economies that PNG can play a significant role in the digital future in the region when his very universities are well below the digital capacities of other universities in the Apec community?

Frustrated Reader, UPNG