Private institutions need a break

This is in response to an article published on Jan 16 titled ‘Teachers’ training college illegal’ and attributed to Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra.
A country’s development can only be seen through how much skilled and knowledgeable human resources it has to develop the country.
The Government has been preaching about free education from elementary to secondary school, and yet, left more than 80 per cent of those that get out of Grade 12 roaming the streets.
Does the Government have better plans for this generation?
Or is it creating mass production of unemployed youths who contribute to increase in crime rates, violence and bring shame to the country?
What are the plans for these youths?
The state of current Government-run universities and colleges is very poor and their yearly budget is cut every year.
Dr Kombra: You speak about quality education, yet, the current Government run colleges aren’t producing quality graduates as you continue to starve and cut their budget every year.
Quality education can only be seen when the government provides all basic necessities for the colleges and universities to run smoothly.
They cannot produce quality graduates and cater for all students on run-down laboratories, outdated libraries, or less text books and materials.
You have to practice what you’re preaching.
What better has the government done to improve standards to produce skilled people to develop this country, if you can start going against private institutions?
Too much preaching and more needs to be done on the ground.
There are almost 12,000-20,000 Grade 12s that are graduating every year, out of which only 10 to 15 per cent are being salvaged into universities and colleges.
What about the other 80 to 90 per cent of these young men and women?
Some of them even scored good marks, yet, have been dropped because there are not enough spaces in the universities and colleges to take them.
They’re out on the streets looking for either jobs by knocking on office doors, or trying to seek another space.
Dr Kombra, are you going to be part of the solution or part of the problem?
The Education Department needs to really reconsider its decisions and attacks on privately-run institutions and start working along with them.
This is especially so for those private institutions that are operating as colleges (technical, business, etc).
The Government should support them with guidance, regulate, provide avenues to improve their standards and work side-by-side with them rather than rebuking them.
They’re part of developing human resources in the country and they should not be discouraged from what they’re doing.
Although some people are saying they are there for profit, the fact is that these institutions are not funded by the Government and they run on their own.
They need money to operate, nothing is today’s world is free.
Privately-run Kumul Training Institute and Mapex Training Institute some of those that are helping those unfortunate youths get another chance in life.
What’s great about these institutions is that they give hands-on training (industrial field experience in real jobs).
This is something which the Government universities and colleges very much lack because of deficiency in funding.
They’re providing employment to some unfortunate people.
They’re proudly PNG owned.
The Government speaks highly of development this country, and yet, discourages Papua New Guineans ourselves.
I call on the education secretary to work along with the private institutions and provide them with basic teaching manuals, or give them directions and work with them.
Show support to private institutions such as Kumul Training Institute, Mapex Training and Consultancy, International Business Studies Institute, etc.

Reader
Hariyana
India