Standard-based education curriculum reformed in six areas

Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra said standard-based education has been reformed in six areas of teaching and learning.
Kombra said these areas include teacher preparation and professional performance, examination and assessments, inspections and monitoring of the standard, school governance or school structural system and review of the standard-based education. He said in this new system, there would be a national standard or benchmark given where every child has to pass that benchmark to qualify to the next grade or level.
Teachers have to provide description of what a child was able to do and help him/her to achieve the required standard.
“Every subject has a national standard benchmark for a child to pass before going into the next grade,” he said.
“For elementary, phonics has to be in place to ensure reading and writing and basic numeracy and literacy skills were taught at that level.
“For elementary, English has to be the language of instruction and no more vernacular.”
Kombra said other areas that this system would embark on improving was the improvement on teacher training, infrastructure at teachers’ colleges, and infrastructure development at every school.
He said developments of science laboratory and basic classrooms in every school would be a priority to reduce the overcrowding and teacher stress.
“More focus will be on science, mathematics and English and we will be recruiting more teachers within and abroad and improve supply of teaching and learning resources such as textbooks,” he add.
Kombra was speaking to about 700 primary school teachers of NCD during the official launch of the national in-service training week in Port Moresby.