Starting school differently

THE Education Department is looking at launching each new academic year in provinces that did not achieve good Grade 10 results in the national examinations the previous year.
The initiative will start next year.
This strategy is aimed at boosting morale and to unify education authorities, educators, students, parents and the public to focus on ways to improve education.
It will encourage competence and excellence, thus improving the way people deliver education services in those particular provinces.
Education Secretary Dr Joseph Pagelio announced this earlier this week at the Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby, during the opening of the Grade 11 selection for academic year 2010.
Dr Pagelio said the education sector was the leading sector among other Government sectors because it was directly following the Government’s plans and strategies to achieve the Medium Term Development Strategy and Millennium Development Goals.
He said launching an academic year in provinces whose results were poor was an initiative of Education Minister James Marape to bring the National Government closer to schools to get people to reflect and improve the situation.
“This year’s academic year was launched in the Southern Highlands province not because of poor performance but due to declining education services there,” Dr Pagelio said.
The 2010 academic year will be launched in a province that has poor performances following this year’s Grade 10 results.