High priority sector

EDUCATION in this country is one of the high priority sectors of the Government of Papua New Guinea that she always embraces in all her development plans and policies.
While much effort put into it, the quality of that education continues to remain a great challenge. One of the strategic approaches in place in the recent times to remedy the issue of quality education in this country was to transfer all teachers colleges to function under Department of Higher Education Research, Science and Technology and that Bachelors’ Degree in Education (Primary Teaching) is conferred to undergraduate students entering teachers colleges for teacher training.
I embraced this National Executive Council directives, however, will those graduated with degree feel comfortable to teach in
primary schools and effectively deliver the government expectations?
Would they have the opportunity to secure positions in high schools and or secondary schools?
If they have to be considered for a position in a high school and or secondary school, would they be able to effectively deliver at that level?
It is very evident in Papua New Guinea that graduates would like to have a job that matches his or her qualification.
A teacher with a degree qualification may feel more defeated and demoted to be in a primary school setting and may want to leave for greener pastures elsewhere but where will he or she go for he or she is trained or will specifically be trained to become primary school teacher unless there is an unforeseeable opportunity which I am not seeing.
Even though he or she continues to teach in a primary school setting, he or she may not deliver with the true heart of delivering and the Government intention to promote quality education in Papua New Guinea may not be showcased in a more pragmatic manner.
Thus, I would like to suggest few things that Teaching Service Commission and the Education department.
The foremost that everyone will agree with me is to restructure the pay structure and remunerate the teachers according to qualifications, and make housing a condition of employment and not just built from scrapes that teachers are forced to reside but of quality and of course other issues of significance related to teachers terms and conditions.
Such would possibly add value to teachers that they would want to deliver with committed heart and so support the Government’s intention to promote and enhance quality education in Papua New Guinea.
This is just my opinion and should not defame and or disqualify any policy, process and or intention of anyone and or organisation in any way or form.

Waugo Mack
LAE