PNG Party prefers free education over OBE

By ISAAC NICHOLAS
A PNG Party-led government after the 2012 general election will re-introduce free education and scrape the outcome-based education system, party leader and Vanimo-Green MP Belden Namah has announced.
The PNG Party unveiled the major policy after the party’s two-day national convention at the Hideaway Hotel, Port Moresby, last Thursday and Friday.
Namah told more than 300 members and supporters at the convention that a vote for PNG Party “is a vote for free education”.
“Education is not a privilege. It is a right guaranteed under the constitution. We need to educate our human resources to develop our natural resources,” he said.
Namah promised the PNG party “will review the OBE in view of terminating the system that has come under a lot of criticism over the years.
“What is wrong with our old education system? We will review and go back to the old education system.”
Namah said free education would apply to primary, secondary, college of distance education (CODE) and technical schools throughout the country.
He promised PNG Party would review pay and working conditions for teachers.
He announced that one of its major policies would be to re-introduce the cadet scheme to “instil discipline and change the bad attitude of Papua New Guineans”.
He said it would be compulsory for students before entering university to undergo two years of military service.
“We want to instil discipline and change the mentality of our people, for them to be clean, not just throwing out plastic bags and spitting betelnut all over the place.”
On climate change, Namah said when the PNG Party got into government, climate change ambassador Kevin Conrad “will be the first to be shown the doors”.
Namah said a lot of funding coming from donors for awareness work in country was being kept in the United States.
“The money coming from investors to carry out awareness is being parked somewhere in New York,” he said.
“Climate change must be tackled with great sensitivity. We will target Papua New Guinean scientists who can drive this campaign.
“We will give Papua New Guineans the first right of refusal for the top job because we have a lot of scientists.”
Namah promised two party teams would be set-up, with one concentrating on planning for
the future and the other “will concentrate on implementing national executive council decisions”.
He said many NEC decisions had not been implemented since independence and the team “will check and implement”.
“Ministers and departmental heads who fail to implement NEC decisions, I am sorry to say this but they must find another job.”
The convention attracted more than 5,000 supporters and members.
It was attended by founder and Moresby Northwest MP Sir Mekere Morauta, deputy leaders Sam Basil and Jamie Maxtone-Graham and other MPs.