Kombra says media crucial in education

MEDIA plays a critical role in the advocacy of early childhood development (ECD), Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra says.
He said this during an ECD media orientation in Port Moresby last Thursday.
“You play a very critical role so we believe in working together with you,” Kombra told media personnel at the orientation.
“Media is a very important element in a democratic country where you can really push for a certain development agenda that we would like to see taken forward.”
The orientation was held to get the media personnel familiar with the importance of investing in the ECD Alliance and its contribution to nation building.
An ECD symposium which was held last week looked at the Pasifika Call to Action for Early Childhood Development.
It tabled an agreement signed between 14 Pacific island countries to give prominence and advocate for ECD.
The symposium explored how PNG can promote high quality, equitable and inclusive ECD policies and services through a multi- sectorial approach and state-led financial investment.
Kombra said many children in PNG were not enjoying the full spectrum of opportunities to develop optimally.
He said the human capital index estimated that a child born in PNG today could only fulfil 38 per cent of his or her potential and this was due to the deficiencies in the country’s healthcare, education, and protection systems for children.
Kombra said the alliance would need the media to play a critical role in the ECD going forward because the media can reach the whole country through its services.