Pagelio admission shocking

I AM very surprised to read the admission by Education secretary Dr Joseph Pagelio that millions cannot read during National Literacy Week celebration.
Literacy in PNG will always be a problem because of the lack of funding and uneven resource distribution.
The other notable cause of illiteracy in PNG which I would like to emphasise is the introduction of outcome-based education (OBE).
It is a controversial education system introduced by the Australian government and blindly implemented by our government without in-depth research.
How on earth can we celebrate literacy when we are encouraging illiteracy with the OBE system?
I am very concerned with the shallow speech by Pagelio without highlighting the root cause of illiteracy in PNG.
The very man who is supposed to fix the problem is looking for solution and passing the buck.
I suggest Pagelio leave his comfort zone in Waigani and visit elementary schools nationwide and see the progress of literacy, he will discover the answer.
The fact is that our secondary school English teachers are saying the standard of written and spoken English is dropping and blame the OBE curriculum for the demise, saying it should be done away with.
We need to understand the appalling situation, honestly debate it and act on it accordingly – and quickly.
The OBE story is heartbreaking, alarming and a serious cause for concern.
St Joseph’s International Catholic College in Port Moresby aptly described OBE as DOA (dead on arrival) during a recent inter-school debate.
PNG is blindly following a path engineered by foreign consultants that will lead to death in knowledge and skills.
Why are we so gullible in accepting the OBE as a reformed system?
Reform what and from what?
What about the old system of the 1960s to 1980s that many of us came through?
The “oppression before enslavement” (OBE) has no relevance and place in PNG.

Malai Mangkona
Koglamp, WHP