Quality education comes at a hefty price

IN Papua New Guinea, public education is free but the quality is determined by the type of school, teachers, learning materials and availability of funds.
The two main obstacles for most public schools are inadequate funding and teachers’ salaries.
That is why they are struggling to promote the implementation of quality education because they are financially unfit to upgrade and maintain their facilities such as classrooms, science and computer laboratories, libraries and even purchase appropriate learning materials to aid the intellectual development of the children. Furthermore, public schools were not able to attract or keep the best teachers in the system due to poor employment benefits and inadequate salaries.
Privately-operated schools, on the other hand, seem to be better off compared to their counterparts in the public education system in terms of finance because they are money-making institutions.
Being the money-making schools means they are financially independent.
By attaining that financial status, they should be able to afford and install state-of-the-art facilities and superior curriculum materials for learning enhancement.
They should be able to provide better employment benefits and remuneration packages to attract competent educators, who can seriously deliver the best education in the world to our children.
Children enrolled in private schools deserve better.
If a pre-schooler can be able to sound and blend words and identify various colours, shapes and numbers fluently at an early age, then that child will be able to read, write and analyse scientific and mathematical data proficiently when he or she reaches primary and secondary level.
Unfortunately, this type of achievement rarely exists nowadays in most private schools across the country.
The 2017 academic year is approaching and parents must scrutinise the private schools operating locally before investing in their children’s education.

Moses Ba Mogia
Goroka, EHP