Leave politics to the politicians

THERE is no doubt that the O’Neill Government’s free education policy has had a greater impact on Papua New Guineans than any other government initiative since the start of the new millennium.
Despite some teething problems, doubts and criticisms, the policy has been a roaring success since it was implemented in 2012.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said at the time, that it was his belief that providing free education was the key to ensuring a better future for citizens.
“Educating our children means that we are creating a path for our country and developing the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
“Without an educated population, we will only continue to have issues with high unemployment, high crime rates and low morale driven by people unable to secure jobs.”
Four years on, O’Neill is riding on the success of the policy and has reasserted that education is an essential human right.
“Education is not an exclusive right for the rich and for the privileged people, but it should be seen as a right for every person in Papua New Guinea,” he said during the inaugural graduation of the Enga Institute of Business Studies (IBS) last year.
Undoubtedly, the leader who has been at the forefront of free education is Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas.
The “action governor” initiated the concept 18 years ago when he was first elected to Parliament and has been responsible for the education of thousands of Engans, many of whom now hold high and influential positions in government and the private sector.
The prime minister hailed Ipatas for his vision in education and credited him for pioneering the free education concept in PNG.
“Enga is leading Papua New Guinea in educating its young generation. People can look to our Tuition Fee Free (TFF) policy, which has enabled an additional one million children to be educated in the last three years, and thank Ipatas for his ideas.”
The governor’s foresight and achievements earned Enga the opportunity last year to pilot the change in distribution of the National Government’s education subsidy funds from the province instead of Waigani.
Therefore, Ipatas has every right to demand that university students, especially those who are benefitting from education subsidies provided by the Ipatas Foundation, return to classes.
The governor said he had sacrificed a lot of time to educate Engans to become professionals.
“For me to just stand by see students being used for political gain doesn’t go down well,” Ipatas told a media conference last Thursday.
“So I am now calling on all my students to go back to the classroom and get educated.
“Leave politics to me.
“I am mandated, I was elected to do it.”
All university students, including those from Enga, who value their education, should take heed of the governor’s call.
We agree with Ipatas that it is in their long-term interests that students concentrate on their studies and leave politics to the leaders who have been mandated by the people.
If the students persist with their boycott of classes, the consequences could be most regrettable for them, their parents and others who have invested in their education.
Other governors and MPs should support Ipatas and call on students from their provinces who are benefitting from educational subsidies to return to classes.
Furthermore, parents and guardians whose children are attending the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) and University of Technology (Unitech) should urge them to return to classes for their own good.
Common sense must prevail among the students in the country’s premier state universities.
Moreover, the students will be able to exercise their voting rights like other citizens and elect the leaders of their choice when PNG goes to the polls in 13 months’ time.
Despite what the student hardliners and prophets of doom say, it is in the country’s best interests that the O’Neill Government is allowed to complete its current term of office without unnecessary political intervention.
And as Ipatas rightly said: “We do not have a crisis, so I do not want the students to create a crisis.
“We do not want the students to create an issue on something that is not an issue in this country”.