Nationalism under threat by ethnic conflicts

PAPUA New Guinea is at the crossroads with ethnicity and regionalism threatening to derail unity and nationalism.
Conflicts in work place, politics, education and even delivering of services to our people are tainied with ethnicity and regionalism.
The political leadership needs to revisit how we can bring back the pride of being Papua New Guineans in general in all aspects of life.
One of these policies is to bring back the national high school system.
Convert 2 existing high in each province into a national high school apart from Passam, Kerevat, Sogeri, Aiyura, Wawin and Port Moresby national high schools. Select
Grade 10 school leavers from all high schools with higher grades to attend these national high schools.
Make selections like usually done with the previous 4 national high schools based on academic excellence.
Select high schools kids from Milne Bay to attend a national high school in Madang, kids from East Sepik attending a national high school in Western, kids from Central attending a national high school in Hela and so forth.
This is where nationalism and patriotism as Papua New Guineans is developed in our children.
Once they go on to universities and colleges, they will mingle with students of other provinces and still maintain their friendship.
This is evident with people who have passed out from the 4 original national high school system. Their lasting friendship is shown by their nationalism and patriotism at work, business, sports and all sectors of life in PNG.
With the current secondary schools in all provinces, there is no unity, patriotism and nationalism in PNG universities and colleges from these pass outs.
These kids keep to their provincial groups and don’t mingle with other provincial groups thus creating division amongst provincial group and do not promote PNG nationalism and patriotism, it’s only creating rivalry amongst provincial groups and regionalism.
Nationalism and patriotism is slowly dying out now and we can bring back this spirit through reviving the national high school system.
Policy and law makers must wake up now and see the current social trends happening in schools, universities, colleges, settlements, at work places, through sports and business. Please do something to reverse this trend.

PNG Patriot , Via email