PNG looking at India as source of cheap textbooks

Minister for National Planning Richard Maru says sourcing quality educational materials from India will be beneficial for Papua New Guinea.
He said this during a meeting with the director of the Indian national council of educational research and training (Ncert), Prof Hrushikesh Senpaty, and his administration in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The Ncert is an autonomous organisation of the government of India established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable society.
Maru said PNG was keen to move away from buying text books from Western countries because it was a costly exercise.
He said with the Government’s free education policy, more students were in school and the demand for educational materials for both students and teachers had therefore increased greatly.
Maru said special attention was being given to mathematics and science subjects to be taught by well-qualified teachers, hence, the need to send PNG teachers for postgraduate studies in India.
He said Fiji now received 100 scholarships a year from India while PNG received only 20.
Maru asked Ncert for 20 more spaces for PNG teachers to study maths and science at post-graduate level. He will be submitting a formal request to the Indian government to support PNG with specialist postgraduate maths and science training under PNG’s development curriculum with India.
Maru said PNG was keen to source cheaper textbooks and e-learning materials from India.
He will be talking to Education Minister Nick Kuman to draw up an agreement to be signed between Ncert and the Department of Education to access valuable education support and assistance from India.