VC backs system

 GRADE 12 students with good Grade Point Average but miss out on places in tertiary institutions can be considered for the second semester – if there is a centralised system, the University of Papua New Guinea Vice-Chancellor Professor Albert Mellam says.  

“The centralised system in Australia allows for a second entry of students,” he told The National last week.

“We don’t have that luxury in our system to do it now. We can do it in June for the following academic year’s second semester.”

Mellam said the selection of students at the beginning of the year for first semester had to be restricted because only those at the very top of the GPA list were picked. 

But those with good GPA but just below that list can be considered for the second semester if the institution keeps the school-leaver forms.

“They (forms) have gone back to the Education Department,” he said. 

“We don’t have it anywhere on records so the students completely missed out and they have to wait for one year then apply.”

“But if we have a centralised system, the pool is there. The university can go back and say: Look we would like to select some students who missed out on the first semester, students can now be admitted for the second semester.”