O’Neill’s free education a failed blank policy

 THE introduction of free education by Peter O’Neill’s government appears to have been rushed, with no proper terms and guidelines to ensure maximum results.
Many problems have surfaced and unless they are quickly addressed, the policy will be affected.
Most schools may be experiencing shortage of teaching facilities and materials like textbooks, desks, classrooms, dormitories and rations due to the large number of students enrolling.
The teacher-student ratio is affected, resulting in poor interaction and performance.
In such situations, only the bright students can progress.
What will the free education policy achieve?
Moreover, to every Papua New Guinean, the free education policy means that whether they have completed their school but failed in the past or have left school and got married can just enrol at any school.
They do not have to worry about paying the fees as the Government will do so.
At Grace Memorial Secondary School in Wau, a student with poor grades was refused enrolment and he angrily burned down one of the classrooms.
Do we blame the student, the school or the government?
I would blame the government as it should not introduce ‘blank’ policies for political point scoring without setting proper guidelines and ensuring that the infrastructure required is in place.

Reader
Port Moresby