Lack of housing, low salaries for teachers: Study

The National National

LOW salaries and allowances, a lack of housing and health care are among the common challenges faced by teachers in Papua New Guinea, a study reveals.
A publication titled Spotlight volume 15, issue 1: “The challenges teachers in Papua New Guinea continue to face” by senior research fellow and education research programme leader Dr Kilala Devette-Chee at Papua New Guinea National Research Institute (PNG NRI), highlighted the struggles faced by teachers in the country.
Devette-Chee stated that one of the keys to quality education was having quality teachers.
The study highlighted areas such as teacher performance and the need for improvement to allow for quality teaching to occur.
Another key area highlighted was teacher accommodation and allowances.
The study revealed that housing was vital.
It found that the lack of housing was a contributing factor to absenteeism, especially in rural schools.
The study also highlighted the need to address challenges faced by teachers as they were not only educators but role models in communities and had an influence on students’ social and emotional development.
The study suggests appropriate support from relevant authorities would encourage teachers to serve the students in their charge well.
For the revived standards-based curriculum (SBC) which replaces the outcomes-based education (OBE) to be successful in achieving quality learning outcomes, the study suggested that there was a need to consider up-skilling teachers in their respective fields of expertise.
The study presented seven recommendations:

  • SUFFICIENT time needs to be allocated for subjects, topics, courses, or, units to ensure that information is learned and outcomes are achieved;
  • TEACHERS need to cover all course content effectively;
  • SUBJECTS taught at each level of education should be allocated appropriate time to allow for the mastery of skills at the recommended level which will form the basis for the next level of learning;
  • A POSITIVE correlation needs to be had between instruction time and a student’s levels of achievement at primary, secondary and tertiary levels;
  • TEACHERS need to execute regular, reliable and timely assessment to improve learning and the achievement of the desired outcomes;
  • INCENTIVE packages for teachers in remote schools need to be revised and upgraded; and,
  • ACCOMMODATION for teachers need to be reviewed.