The Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro announced today that the National Executive Council has approved and endorsed the PNG Education Transformation Vision 2025 (PNGETV 2075) by the Education Department.
The PNGETV 2075 is a 50-year education strategic plan that will span over 5 decades of continuous planning, management, implementation, and evaluation through short term plans such as MTDP IV, sector and agency plans, provincial plans, district plans, Local Level Government plans and ward plans.
Education Minister, Mr Jimmy Uguro said that the government is now looking at overhauling the entire education system to see where we have gone wrong, where we are now and what we need to do in the next 50 years.
“We are looking at that during the overhaul, maintaining the ones that we are doing well in and overhauling and reconstructing the ones that need to be upgraded so by 2075 we achieve the best for our education.”
“Our Late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare talked about educating qualified Papua New Guineans and we have already achieved that.”
“Our Marape-Rosso government has seen that something is missing and that is the mindset of our people that are not educated.”
“We want to see that the education department through our education system, our curriculum, our teaching and learning, how we can improve and insert the best mindset for our citizens, and we reduce law and order that is happening around us.”
He said that police, pastors, and churches as well as parents are trying their best to educate our people and change their mindset so we can avoid social issues.
Minister Uguro further said that one of the main things they will be focussing on is teacher education, training, and development.
“One of the challenges is lack of specialised teacher training institution that offer degree programs, especially in Primary school teaching.”
“The school system structure 1-6-6 should be converted to 2-1-6-6 to include a 2year component for early childhood learning.”
“This must be included as part of the mainstream education system because the first 5 years of a child’s life is important for their cognitive/intellectual development.”
Minister Uguro added that teachers will need to upgrade so teachers who teach elementary schools must have diplomas, teachers for primary schools must hold degrees and teachers for Secondary schools must hold master’s degrees.
“The government has a plan in place to provide funding for teachers to upskill themselves so they can provide quality education for their students.”