The Marape-Rosso Government’s emphazise on education is to ensure every child has a right to education and no child is left behind and fully support training institutions imparting skills and knowledge to our children.
To achieve such out-comes the Government is putting both human and financial resources into the education sector in the 2023 national budget under its tuition fee funding policy.
The Secretary for the Department of Prime Minister & National Executive Council, (PM&NEC), Ivan Pomaleu said this when addressing the first graduation ceremony for the Caritas Business College in Port Moresby on Friday, 02nd December, 2022.
He represented Prime Minister James Marape who was attending Parliament to debate and pass the 2023 budget.
He said the National Government is placing its emphasize on education so no one child is left behind in the formal education sector including Flexible Open Distance Education-FODE.
“The key emphasize you will find is in education is on building infrastructure, capacity of teachers to enable them to teach the students adequately and that is very important.
“If the Prime Minister were to be here to speak he will emphasize the point that opportunities for each of our children must be placed before them.
“That is an important statement towards the Governments’ drive to achieve desired outcomes in the education sector,’’ he said.
But Secretary Pomaleu says it will take time to achieve those capacity building in terms of infrastructure, classrooms, and teachers to match the capacity in the growth of number of students.
He told the students that those who have excelled and progressed in life the world over are those that were able to get an education or educated.
Secretary Pomaleu said education creates opportunities, opens doors, creates an awareness and knowledge about things in life.
“Let me first of all congratulate you all the twenty-five graduates, pioneers of Caritas Business College in completing your two years of studies both in theory and practical.
“Your graduation now marks the end of a new beginning. You have finished one phase of your life. Now you will enter into the next phase.
“Those who are going to succeed in life are those who are willing to work hard,’ said Secretary Pomaleu.
He encouraged the students that there is no easy pathway to life and in education to achieve ones dreams.
“There are no short cuts, but for many of us in this country for whatever reasons, maybe culturally, we want to take short cuts and there aren’t many.
“Those who are prepared to draw up their sleeves, prepared to sweet it out, and those who are prepared to work hard are those will succeed,’’ said Mr Pomaleu.
He advised the graduates that the grades on their Certificates are just to open some doors and one they get into those doors they will need to work even harder.
“You have to make use of the opportunities that is before you.
“There will be some setbacks, disappointments and regrets along the way, but those who are prepared to use those as stepping stones, rather than road blocks, will be those who succeed in life.
“Let me on behalf of the Prime Minister James Marape and the Government congratulate the school, Caritas Business College for passing out your first graduands and congratulate each of you students, for being successful and seeing you through this stage this morning.
“We would also like to thank your parents, guardians, siblings, and sponsors for supporting you in your studies and school and those who stood behind you to make this day possible.
“I take my hat off and pay my respects to them for they have made this possible to receive your Diplomas in Office Administration and Tourism and Hospitality courses.
I wish you all the best in your future,’’ he said.
A total of 25 students graduated with Diplomas in Office Administration and Tourism and Hospitality.
Secretary Pomaleu was accompanied by the spouse of Prime Minister Marape, Rachel Marape, Secretary for the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST), Francis Hualupmomi, officials from the National Training Council, parents and guardians of the first class of students from the Caritas Business College.