The right for all Papua New Guinean children to have an education will come at no cost, starting next year due to the strain of COVID-19 on the economy, as the Marape-Basil government moves in to ease the burden on parents and guardians in the 2022 academic year. PM James Marape made the announcement that students from elementary to Grade 12 will be entitled to free education in 2022 during the launch of the 2020-2029 National Education Plan. “As of next year, all State education will be free so parents are assisted further in this tough economic times,” said Marape. While officiating at the launch of the Education Plan themed “Achieving Quality Education for All” PM pronounced that quality education is a basic right for all children in PNG. The Prime Minister directed that all stakeholders take their role in making education for our children their business. This includes parents and citizens, teachers and the Education Department and all levels of Government. “In the next 10 years, throughout the life of this education plan, a child born today would be in grade 4, a seven-year-old child in grade 11, a 15 or 17 year old would have left school and is now an adult. The input we make in their life the next 10 years will affect and influence their future,” PM Marape said. It was stressed that this plan must also be flexible for review in between now and 2025 to ensure we assess what we are trying to achieve and match against what is being done so all children must be assisted to achieve their full potentials given to them by God. The Prime Minister stressed that all children are created with special acumen, gifts and talents and our education system must be such where students’ potentials are harnessed for their betterment. And all in all, the quality of the education must not be sacrificed and he committed the Government to assist in ramping up the quality interventions of our education system. PM Marape directed also for Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) and Technical Vocational School (TVET) to be made fully accessible for those who have left schools or will leave school so that all children have an active pathway to skill and post grade 12 opportunities. “In the next 10 years, throughout the life of this education plan, a child born today would be in grade 4, a seven year old child in grade 11, a 15 or 17 year old would have left school and is now an adult. The input we make in their life the next 10 years will affect and influence their future,” PM Marape said. It was stressed that this plan must also be flexible for review in between now and 2025 to ensure we assess what we are trying to achieve and match against what is being done so all children must be assisted to achieve their full potentials given to them by God. The Prime Minister stressed that all children are created with special acumen, gifts and talents and our education system must be such where students’ potentials are harnessed for their betterment. And all in all, the quality of the education must not be sacrificed and he committed the Government to assist in ramping up the quality interventions of our education system. PM Marape directed also for Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) and Technical Vocational School (TVET) to be made fully accessible for those who have left schools or will leave school so that all children have an active pathway to skill and post grade 12 opportunities. It was also announced that during this new plan’s life, the grade 12 certificate will become the only certificate of recognition for post-secondary school opportunities and that the Government will work towards all children having 13 years of pre-school, Primary School and Secondary Education. [caption id="attachment_10537" align="alignnone" width="466"] Gerehu Primary School students in Port Moresby[/caption]