Uncertainty with system

A REPORT released by the PNG National Research Institute (NRI) last Thursday indicated that the new education system may create problems for schools in Papua New Guinea.
The report stated that the new basic education system advocated by the Department of Education may be difficult to implement.
Author and education research fellow Jeremy Goro said the new standard-based curriculum (SBC) education system would create problems for schools but also opportunities.
“Is it the right time to implement the new 1-6-6 basic education system in PNG?” Goro said.
“The SBC system allowed for one year early childhood education development, six years in primary education and another six years in secondary education”.
The study said the current infrastructures in schools would need to change to accommodate the new system.
The secondary schools will need more classrooms and dormitories for grades 7 and 8.
The study said this might create more problems in competing for spaces in the learning facilities and pupil-teacher ratios in the already strained infrastructure in secondary schools.
However, there may be fewer problems at the primary school level because of the reduction in the number of grades and students to manage, it said.
Goro said in order to effectively implement SBC, the Education Department should have consulted key stakeholders, created more awareness, trained teachers on the new curriculum, built facilities and capacity, and produced more resource materials.
“Another issue is the lack of research and evaluation to identify factors restricting proper implementation,” he said.
“The PNG education system has undergone revolutionary reforms in the last four decades with two different reforms.”
The report stated that frequent reforms raised issues around inadequate awareness, facilities, and teacher training and incentives.