Separate funding needed to bring teachers’ college to life

THE plan to open a teachers’ college in Finschhafen is the result of a Department of Education directive and not part of Morobe’s partnership with the University of Goroka, a senior official said.
Morobe education reform coordinator Haring Qoreka said the partnership with University of Goroka (UoG) is part of Morobe’s education reform.
The Heldsbach Teachers’ College (HTC) for the training of elementary and primary school teachers is not part of that, he said.
He said the setting up of HTC would depend on funding, which was not yet available.
“However, there is also a misunderstanding with PNG Education Institution where to fit in to establish the institution,” Qoreka said.
Qoreka, a teacher, was involved with the planning of HTC when he was Morobe provincial elementary coordinator in 2015-2016.
He resigned last year to contest the general election by standing in the Kabwum Open seat as a Pangu Pati candidate. He was unsuccessful.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu has now employed him to lead Morobe’s education reform programme, starting with early childhood learning in partnership with the University of Goroka.
The UoG centre is located at the Morobe Special Education Resource Centre, at Eriku, in Lae, and it is targeted at:

• Lifting the qualifications of teachers to degree level;
• help grades 10,11 and 12 students; and,
• Improve the skills and qualifications of public servants and company employees.

“But we will still establish the HTC because Morobe needs to have its own provincial teachers’ college, likewise the Balob Teachers’ College owned by the mainline churches with support of the government,” Qoreka said.
“That is to provide competition among Balob, HTC and the established UoG centre to develop competitive and quality teachers to teach elementary and primary school pupils.”