Let B’ville control its tertiary institutions

WE have witnessed the transfer of powers and functions to the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) from the Education Department, the national education board and the Teaching Services Commission (TSC) for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The tertiary institutions includes technical and vocational education training (Tvet) institutions and teacher training institution. These transfers are because of legislative amendments to the existing laws. Under the new amended legislation, all lecturers and principals from these institutions will no longer be members of the Teaching Service Commission, they will now join the Papua New Guinea public service with the Department of Personnel Management determining their terms and conditions. Among the tertiary institutions that were gazetted to be transferred was the Bougainville Technical College, which is the highest educational institution in Bougainville. One wonders whether it is necessary to transfer the Bougainville Technical College to DHESRT or whether the institution should remain with the Department of Education, the national education board and the TSC for the time being before it is transferred to the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Department of Education and the Bougainville education board. One must not forget that Bougainville is an autonomous region and as an autonomous government, it deserves the right to have a tertiary institution directly administrated by Bougainville’s own Department of Education and the Bougainville education board . Under the Bougainville Education Act 2013, there is a provision for Bougainville to have its own tertiary institution. Under the Bougainville-PNG Peace Agreement and the PNG Constitution, the National Government has a legal obligation to transfer all its powers to Bougainville in order to give effect to the autonomy arrangements. Perhaps DHESRT should reconsider reviewing its decision to take over Bougainville Technical College from the National Department of Education, the national education board and TSC so that in the near future, the college can be transferred over to the Autonomous Bougainville Government and not to DHESRT. Reviewing the decision by DHESRT to take over the college should not have any legal implications on the recently-amended DHESRT-administered laws. Let Bougainville manage its own tertiary institutions that are located in Bougainville. The Government should only assist the college with finance.

Observer,
Ministry of Education,
Waigani