TFF policy made people ‘lazy’

THERE is much controversy on the Tuition Fee Free policy.
Almost 80 per cent of our rural society is non-participant and therefore parochialism has been a norm, even in the urban society.
To parents out there who are saying that the Marape-Steven government is making a bad decision, TFF policy is not the answer to quality education.
We need to see clearly see the damaging side of the free education policy.
We should all understand that the free education policy is still there.
The government is only cutting it by half in 2020.
The government’s decision has a good side to it, and I like to highlight why this is good.
Firstly, we lack school infrastructure nationwide.
There are hundreds of elementary, primary, high and secondary schools nationwide which cannot accommodate high number of student intakes every year due to free education because school facilities are insufficient.
This is also affecting the teacher-student ratio.
There are so many students for a teacher to handle.
PNG is experiencing a short supply of teachers as we have new schools – both private and state – establishing every year.
The O’Neill government, as well as the current Marape Government have the same vision in education.
Education is a basic right for all citizens, and Marape is not taking away that right of yours to go to school.
However, to acknowledge that right we should all work together because that right comes with responsibilities.
All stakeholders, government, parents, students, teachers, school boards and administration, have to play their role to build a quality future.
The O’Neill government has given us free education and parents have become too lazy.
Parents have neglected their responsibility to their children’s education. The nation will prosper when there is input from all its citizens with honesty and in unity.
The decision to have more than four kids in the family is not the responsibility of the government.
Having more kids in the family is your decision so do not be too reliant on the government and complain. Thirdly, there is high level of laziness in terms of teaching and learning which leads to the drop in education standards in the country.
The government is pumping free money into schools for the kids and no one seems to care.
Our parents are relaxing, school administration and the school boards are relaxing, teachers are relaxing away, and students are also relaxing as if it is an holiday camp.
There is high level of absenteeism from students and teachers in schools.
There is high discipline problems, and students attacking their teachers and vice versa.
When such issues arise in schools, some parents are too ignorant because they are not sweating their guts to pay up school fees.
You will also learn that the school administration and the school boards are also ignorant in addressing such issues.
You will realise that the system is weakened all because of “Tuition Fee Free policy”.
But when parents are sacrificing to pay up school fees for their children, they will become the watchdogs in the learning process of their children.
That is when the kids will begin to develop this fear towards their teachers and parents, and above all their education because it is their only chance.
Teachers and the school administration will begin to develop this fear because they might get most of the blame from the parents for the lack of quality teaching and the results gained.
Parents will also develop this fear that their kids might fail and that all their sacrifices to bring up their kids would count to nothing so they will do what they can to develop their children at home before they attend schools.
With fear comes sacrifice. All parties will sacrifice to produce quality.
The standard of education in our country is dropping because we are lazy.
TFF policy has made us too dependent on the government.
Lazy people always complain a lot for spoon – feeding.

Bid Ambassi