PNGEC and education address polling issues

National, Normal
Source:

The National Monday, December 13, 2010

By DULCIE OREKE
PAPUA New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and the Department of Education for the first time joined hands to address election-related issues currently being experienced in the country from a different perspective.
And that was through the education curriculum, Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen said.
“The commission and the education department believe that in order for elections in PNG to be free, fair and safe 20 to 30 years down the line, there needs to be a generation change,” he said.
Addressing graduates at the St Joseph’s International Catholic College graduation last month, he said the future generation needed to be politically educated so that they could change their behaivour and attitude during elections.
The Education Department had selected teachers and standards officers from all the four regions to attend a curriculum write-up workshop to draft an election teachers resource book.
“The final copy will be put through the syllabus subject advisory committee and the board of studies and endorsement for use in schools in PNG next year,” Trawen said.
He said the book would be about leadership in the classroom, social groups and activities, home, community and the country as a whole.
“The PNGEC and the education department believe that this project in the long run will help students to become good citizens and see positive sides of becoming a leader,” he said.
He said the book on elections would be used to teach students at elementary school level to upper primary schools.
Trawen said what the curriculum was doing now was unpacking the PNGEC in the simplest, meaningful and interactive language to education and inform students to grow up as educated and responsible voters and citizens in future.