English should be made compulsory

Source: 

The National, Wednesday 19th December, 2012

By ELIAS LARI
WESTERN Highlands elementary teachers’ trainer and inspector Susan Akike has called on the government to make English a subject of its own.
Akike said she preferred the outcomes-based education as the best curriculum to be used in PNG.
She said it would be impossible to take back the old system because “there is nothing wrong with the OBE”.
Akike said the government should fund and provide the logistic support so that those coordinating could ensure that the OBE curriculum worked well.
“If there is constant monitoring about how the system works then this will bring a lot of impact,” she said.
“Why I’m saying this is because I’m specialising in the OBE system and it is the best to be used for our children.”
She said one problem teachers had been facing was that they had not received OBE curriculum books.
“Who knows where these books were kept and that makes the elementary teachers struggle to prepare lessons.”
She said abolishing OBE would not make any change and urged the government to introduce English in elementary.
She called for the government to introduce English at the elementary, provide logistic support and change the time of classes to start at 8am and end at 2pm.
She urged Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to reconsider his decision on scrapping the OBE.
“You cannot just come out to remove this curriculum but it would be better if proper planning is in place.”

Via The National
http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/42890

Local Teachers are qualified English Teachers

Source: 

The National, Wednesday 19th December, 2012

By ELIAS LARI
A HEADMASTER in Western Highlands says teachers throughout PNG are qualified to teach English.
Keltiga Primary School headmaster Timbi Kumbamang said he disagreed with Ambunti-Dreikikir parliamentarian Tony Aimo.
Speaking on the Outcomes-Based Education on Monday, Aimo said if OBE was removed, it would make improvement because most teachers were qualified to teach English.
Aimo said PNG should emphasise quality teacher training.
But Kumbamang said teachers were specialised in teaching English.
“To train teachers will be a waste of public funds and time but it will be better if the OBE system is removed and the Pacific Series is introduced,”
Kumbamang said.
He said he supported Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s plan to do away with the OBE system.
Kumbamang said the OBE would never do anything good for the country and the education of children.
“My school will be using the Pacific Series starting next year because I believe English is the key subject in education,” Kumbamang said.
He said the government would not waste money to train teachers because they were professionals in their own field.
“English is the key subject in education that is why schools have to teach it (English).”
He said when he went to school they were using the Mineda curriculum but the Pacific series was still the best.
“I support O’Neill’s idea to do away with the OBE curriculum, which will not provide any help to our children’s learning.
“Thank you, prime minister for your wise thinking to change the OBE curriculum.”

Via The National
http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/42891

Education is important

Source:

The National, Wednesday 19th December, 2012

By ELIAS LARI

EDUCATION is another important component in nation-building and the government and parents should give greater concentration to it, a principal says.
Anglimp High School principal George Rambang said that last Friday during the school’s 11th Grade 10 graduation.
Rambang said education was an investment that could make the future generation become somebody important.
He said in order to see young people become somebody useful, it needed the government and parents to start investing in their lives through education.
“Parents, do not give up if your children failed his or her education because there is always a way out and a way in,” he said.
“If there is no space in secondary schools, this does not mean that it is the end of their education.”
He said children should be disciplined at home as that was where parents should explain to them the importance of getting an education.
Rambang said the country needed more lawyers, accountants and pilots and that needed greater investment in education.
“We know that the government is paying for school fees but this does not mean we, parents, are to waste our resources on something else,” he said.
“The burden that really weakens us is school fee but it is our privilege to have the government remove this load from our shoulders.
“Knowledge is power and education is life.”
He said as a teacher he knew what education was and how it could make somebody important

Via The National
http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/42878