Old education process better

AS an educationist, I see that the Education Department with the current structure of 1-6-6 should reconsider reviving the old education process that faded away in the mid 1990s to avoid dropouts.
The faded education process was designed in such a way where as soon as you complete grade 6, you go straight to fode or vocational schools depending on your assessment marks and talents shown in school for guidance teachers to recommend prior to sitting for the national exams.
It was a prerequisite.
The same applied to grade 10s for colleges and universities.
Everyone had a place to go.
With this process, it was a win-win situation – the child continues till he/she finds a job, the parents and the Government supports the child with fees and creating employment.
The old process was transparent with assessment criteria’s for students to achieve and has motivated students to plan themselves before and while in school.
With this 1-6-6 structure, it will be the same for students passing out in grade 6 and 12 where grade 12s could be considered for technical colleges and universities while grade 6 could be considered for flexible, open and distance education (Fode) or vocational schools then later make their way up to what to their preferred level of education.
This should not become optional because most times parents and students themselves neglect their part in pursuing their dreams.
This should become a prerequisite where application forms have to be ready and made available in schools with all guidance teachers prior to them sitting for national exams.
For these forms to be presented in school, it is the work of all stakeholders recruiting students to get together and discussing the cut-off marks in accepting students after grade 6 or 12.
I am asking the Government and stakeholders involved in training and recruiting – the Police Department, maritime and agricultural colleges, PNG Defence Force, technical schools/colleges, universities – to work with the Education Department on this before the national elections.
In comparing the old system to the current one, I see that the current one has made it more optional for students.
This leaves students with a question of whether or not to continue education or not.
This results in having a lot of dropouts and high unemployment.
With the old system, students collected their offer to continue their education based upon their choices lodged in the school leaver’s application form.
This will leave parents and students with no choice but to continue their education with what has been provided for them.
This is something the Governmetn should consider in order to help our people.

Francis Saliau