Too easy to get into UPNG

Letters

AFTER reading about the 81 students arrested in East New Britain last weekend, I pondered on the future of these students.
Where will they end up in life?
What will they contribute to society?
I hope these 81 students, at some point in their lives thought about getting tertiary education.
In our country, attaining a bachelor’s degree is viewed as the pinnacle of success. On graduation day, parents are filled with joy for their children’s success.
But does attaining a degree in PNG’s tertiary institutions automatically propels one into the top?
What is the intellectual worth of a degree?
PNG is not a meritocracy where the intellectually-competent are propelled to the helm of society and that is evident in our government.
The University of PNG calls itself the premier university of the Pacific.
As a former UPNG student, I can honestly say that this is an overly exaggerated label.
Before I make my point, I will draw an inference from the top university in the world, Harvard University.
The reason behind Harvard’s success is not because it provides education that is overly complex or different from other universities.
Harvard’s success stems from its admission process.
It is really hard to get into Harvard.
To get into Harvard, your IQ has to be in the 99th percentile.
You also have to be adept at two or more additional skills in order to get into Harvard.
People wrongly think that they will get more educated if they go to Harvard.
You can get the same education if you go to other universities.
The reason people who go to Harvard do better than students who go to other universities is because students who go to Harvard are smarter.
It is not that the education in Harvard is better than the rest.
What then does society get out of Harvard?
They get the best minds moulded in an environment of competitiveness and innovation that propels society forward.
Back to UPNG, the problem is not the education that it provides.
The problem with UPNG is that it is so easy to get in.
Without accounting for the endless bribery allegations, one can obtain a place in UPNG just by achieving the minimum GPA.
This creates an educational environment where the mediocre intermingle with the exceptional and the former tend to outnumber the latter.
It does not allow innovative thinking that is desired in universities.
There is no sense of competitiveness amongst the students.
Consequently, when most graduate, they graduate with knowledge that is atypical to the standards of a tier one university.
Therefore, we are producing a range of human resources that cannot possibly think, criticise and innovate in any shape or form.
Why then have we remained stagnant for the past 45 years despite having an unbroken democracy since 1975?
Something needs to be done about that.

Three Niner

4 comments

  • As a matter of fact, I was also once a student at UPNG. But I’ve felt and seen that some staffs there get briberies and allow the ‘mediocre’ to go into some institutions whilst some of the exceptional ( with low monetary values) tend to be left out behind. And the result is what we are seeing today – low grade qualities in every levels.!

  • This type of felony is becoming SYSTEMATIC not only in UPNG but other tertiary institutions including other smaller colleges and Technical schools as well.

    1: While that might be true-but i also think when it comes to really INNOVATION-the institution like UNITECH does NOT have the MONEY to back us up to see our theses come into FRUITITION (INVENTION). Plus we have been learning Theories ever since 2000 and that is a MAJOR PROBLEM. Limited PRACTICAL Exposures and TOO much Theories CAN NOT BE REALISTIC!!!!!!

    2: The Attitude of Students towards learning is below average. 75% of students LOVES Plagiarism and making copies of answers-its cultured in them. So, how can we have COMPETITIVENESS??? Like the students use to say:

    Civil Engineers sa kopi ket 2mas na planti PORTHOLE IN LAE CITY &
    Electrical Engineers sa kopi answers 2 na PNG Pawa wok lo BLACK OUT every now and then.

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