Online selection failing students

PREVIOUS school leavers were selected on merit depending on the required GPA scored.
Selection was made by principals, vice chancellors or the managers of an institution.
Selection coordinators screened and went through all the school leaver forms (SLF) basing on the student’s choices.
During that time, there were three choices.
If the student did not make it to their first choice in university but his/her GPA was near to their second choice in college, the student would get an offer.
The second and third choices were also important.
After the selection was made, students who scored low GPA missed out.
The final selected students’ names were put on the daily newspapers for parents, stakeholders, guidance’s and students to see.
This selection system was good indeed.
Remember, an individual student is an ambassador who has the name for his or her own family, a clan, tribe, community and province.
As such, people want to see student(s) succeed.
People wanted to see the name of their son or daughter clearly printed in the two daily newspapers The National and Post Courier but not on Facebook or internet links.
They (parents and stakeholders) want to see the name with their eyes and raise money for their childrens’ school fees, book allowance, pocket allowance and other necessities needed by the students.
The online selection brings disaster in Papua New Guinea because it has affected many school leavers.
The system only picks the names of students with green light.
They leave red light.
Many unfortunate students who scored high GPAs, and are supposed to be selected, were left behind.
The system automatically rejected them.
Some students scored low GPA but the system picked them.
That means, the programme that the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) used was not functioning well or the selection committees were not considering the welfare of the fellow citizens who are future leaders.
Please do make a change on that matter.
Many uneducated parents have been complaining about the online selection since the start of the programme.
Yet, DHERST is still using it.
This programme hurts many uneducated parents who are in the remotest parts of PNG.
Also, the names of selected students never appear on the two daily newspapers Post Courier and The National, which parents rely on to see.
We need to see the selection list publicly.
Therefore, we urge the selection committees and DHERST to change the online system and go back to the old system.

Lupzon Kenowai LK,
MausMahn Blo PNG