More research needed on Help

Letters

THERE wasn’t much research done before implementing the Government’s Higher Education Loan Programme (Help) programme.
The Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) secretary Fr Jan Czuba does not understand the PNG culture very well.
Help was implemented by this Government to discredit the former government’s free education policy which had supported about 90 per cent of parents who are subsistence farmers.
The secretary said the Help was practised in some universities across the globe, for example Australia and PNG is no exception.
He should not compare PNG with other universities with Help.
Other universities that have Help are developed countries.
Help is for students when they reach 18 years who are no longer under the care of their parents.
They can either live on their own seeking support from the government through Help to pay for their own school fees and later repay when they get employed and thus live an independent life.
PNG is a developing country and we do not leave parents at the age of 18 and live our own lives.
We are dependent on our parents and that is our culture from generation to generation.
The Government is taking advantage for their own political gain.
The government should pay our school fees instead of this Help.
When the students are employed, they will face the burden of repaying the school fees without having to look out for their parents and meet other social obligations as required in the community and society.

Anti-HELP,
POM