Invest more in education

FINANCING education for our children by the Government has been the topic of much controversy.
As long as the Government introduces new policies regarding its commitment to funding education, we will still face difficulties.
Difficulties are an inherent element of these ill-conceived policies which have taken their toll on parents, guardians and children.
The tuition fee free (TFF) under the former prime minister Peter O’Neill attempted to, as the name suggested, provide free education.
The scheme, however, did not come to fruition.
It was a total failure of preparedness, planning and execution.
Parents and guardians still had to struggle to pay for children’s education.
The policy was the cause of much strain on children’s learning, school resources and teaching services.
Those problems were not properly addressed.
The change in government brought forth change in policy.
The government tuition fee subsidy (GTFS) under Prime Minister James Marape, is nothing more than the partial reverse of TFF.
The unsolved issues that came with TFF have persisted and have coupled the almost identical ones from GTFS in a complex web of problems.
The Government needs to effectively deal with that.
These policies are doing our country no good.
Both policies are, in essence, a political maneuver employed by the policy-makers to overvalue themselves.
What will be the next education policy under the next regime?
The severity of its impact will be the sum of the effects of those preceding it and such is my prognosis if no proper diagnoses are made, particularly on the research, planning and execution of pertinent policies.
Can the Government reconsider its modus operandi for the best of our children and the country?
Decisions made should not be associated with any political affiliations.
As such, free-education should be made a law which all regimes should abide by.
Policies are more of a whim and are therefore dispensable so do away with them.
A law, on the other hand, exerts gravity and should be followed.
Ergo, one should be legislated to effect free-education, which is an inalienable right to every child.
I do not doubt it would not be much of a stretch on the Government’s annual budget limits if the funds allocated for education were to be tripled or quadrupled.
Investing unconditionally in education should be the launching pad from which PNG can be propelled forward to ever accomplishing the Vision 2050.

Ghegnzo Pigngawe Nobi,
Mt Wegnamognzo,
Bulolo