Teachers urged to upgrade skills

ABOUT 400 teachers in Chimbu with teaching certificates are urged to upgrade their qualification to diploma or degree.
Provincial education adviser Eassy Walkaima issued a warning last Friday that certificate holders were on shaky grounds and would not last in the education system, under the reform, they could be removed.
Walkaima made this comment during the third graduation of 42 teachers, who graduated with diplomas in primary education, conducted by the PNG Education Institute (PNGEI) sub-branch in Kundiawa last Friday.
“I want teachers, who are still teaching with certificates, to upgrade their qualification and get diploma or degree.
“Otherwise, you are all standing on a shaky ground,” he said.
Chimbu was focused on developing its human resource and it was important they have highly educated teachers to pass quality education to the young generation.
Walkaima thanked the provincial administration, under the leadership of Joe Kunda Naur, for continuously supporting the  PNGEI sub-branch.
He also thanked the director of PNGEI Dr Zui Neofa for establishing a sub-branch in the province for the certificate holders to enrol for diploma programmes.
He commended the graduates for making personal sacrifices to upgrade their qualification and graduated with diploma in primary education.
Neofa said research had shown that teachers were not confident in adapting to changes in the education system.
“I want the teachers to stand up for the changes and the only option available is to upgrade your qualification.”
He said teachers must understand outcomes-based education or whatever new curriculum that would come in later before teaching their students.
He urged other teachers to make use of the sub-branch headed by Bernard Daiwa as a provincial coordinator and get diploma in primary education.
“You will feel confident and understand better to teach in classes unlike in the past,” he told the graduates.
He said since the branch was established, 119 teachers had graduated with diploma.
Kunda, who was the guest speaker, said he was happy to see teachers in the province moving with the change in education and urged other 400 teachers with certificates to do the same.