Education continues to be a key focus of the National Government captured in the K28 billion 2025 National Budget, with a huge allocation aimed at making improvements for the betterment of the future generations. Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey, when handing down 2025 Budget in Parliament on Friday, said the education sector was allocated K473.5 million, an increase of 12.0 per cent compared to this year’s budget. Whilst the department of education is responsible for primary and secondary education and the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) responsible for tertiary education, the sector aims to provide quality, affordable and accessible education for all. According to the Treasurer, the intervention programs in the Medium-Term Development Goals IV (MTDP), focus on improving skilled labour to meet the growing demand in the human capital by providing quality teaching and learning environment and improving accessibility and affordability for all levels of education. This will start from the early childhood education program which aims to set the foundation for children’s learning; quality basic primary and secondary education to improve quality education leading to Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions, colleges and the universities and increase coverage of the educated population in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) by leaving no one behind. Of the Education Sector's allocation for 2025, K3,989.1 million is designated for operational expenditure, with K2,803.5 million for compensation of employees (CoE) and K1,185.6 million for goods and services (G&S). Additionally, K446.2 million is allocated for capital investment expenditure, which includes K365.0 million in direct financing from the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG), K53.0 million in grants, and K28.2 million in concessional loan funded projects. As for TESAS, an total of K98.9 million has been allocated which is an increase of K15.9 million, followed by K53.1 million for HELP (an increase of K1.1 million), K859.5 million for Government Tuition Fund Subsidy (GTFS) which is an increase of K8.6 million and K30.0 million for STEM program (an increase of K23.7 million) in 2025 Budget. Meanwhile, as for teachers, an increase of K210.0 is allocated for their salaries and allowances to cover expected arrears and K66.0 million to cater for the costs associated with the increase in salary and allowances rates for teachers. It has also been noted that Teachers' Salary Grants and Leave Fares are now directly captured under the Education Sector. Moreover, other intervention programs that will be funded 2025 includes General Education Programs (K75.0 million), the Sir Michael Somare University (K10.0 million), Higher Education (K194.0 million) programs and TVET (K50.0 million) programs.