Law proposed for free education

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120501/tuhome.htm



By KOLOPU WAIMA



The Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the government will pass a legislation to make compulsory free education in Papua New Guinea.


Prime Minister Peter O’Neill revealed this when opening ten classrooms (five double classrooms) at Hood Lagoon, Keapara village, Rigo district in the Central Province last Saturday.


He said that education is his party the People National Congress (PNC)’s first priority because it will not only improve the livelihood of the citizens but develop the country.


He said that countries like Botswana in Africa and Malaysia got independence in 1975 as PNG did but they are more developed and advanced because they have invested in education. “We the government of PNG lacks investment in education in previous years therefore the country is not developed as it should be.


“So now I want to redirect the country to the right direction by putting education as my first priority,” he said. The government’s aim he said is to legislate free education so that no successive governments will interfere with it in future. The free education policy translates to the current tuition fees paid by the government for elementary students to grade 10 students and a 75 per cent subsidy for students in Grades 11 and 12.


Mr O’Neill said thousands of school-children are not at school due to school fee problems.


Mr O’Neill said that he took office in August 2 2011 and tries to change the country into right direction in corrections of past mistakes “we have done.”


The national department of education is working on the policy to legislate the compulsory fee free education in the country.