Surging Secondary School Enrollments Demands TVET Expansion

A surge in secondary school enrollments across the country prompts a pressing need for tertiary institutions and higher education (HEI) spaces to expand their capacity to meet this growing demand.

This year alone, over 249,000 secondary and primary school (Grade 8, 10 and 12) students were taking the annual national examinations, showing the increasing number of students pursuing further education.

Stats That Matter

In a press conference just before the national examinations (01/08/2023), Secretary of Education Dr. Uke Kombra stated that approximately 249,189 students would be sitting for their exams nationwide.

This includes a significant number of:

Grade 10 students (76,571) from 448 Lower Secondary Schools,
Grade 12 students (31,252) from 221 Upper Secondary Schools and National Schools of Excellence (NSOA), and
Grade 8 students (141,366) from 3,538 Primary schools.

Notably, a separate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) exam will be administered to 324 Grade 12 students at the National School of Excellence.

Here is data from previous years showing the number of Grade 12 students transiting through the Department of Higher Education (DHERST) national online selection system (NOAS).

249,189 students will be sitting for their exams nationwide. This includes a significant number of Grade 10 students (76,571) from 448 Lower Secondary Schools, Grade 12 students (31,252) from 221 Upper Secondary Schools and National Schools of Excellence, and Grade 8 students (141,366) from 3,538 Primary schools. Notably, a separate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) exam will be administered for 324 Grade 12 students. A comparison with last year reveals a remarkable increase in the number of students taking national examinations. In 2022, approximately 71,000 Grade 10 students from 213 schools, 31,000 Grade 12 students from 218 high schools and secondary schools, and 125,000 Grade 8 students from 3,433 primary schools participated in the same examinations. Addressing the burgeoning demand for higher education, Dr. Komb

Remarkable increase in the number of students

A comparison with last year reveals a remarkable increase in the number of students taking national examinations.

In 2022, approximately:

71,000 Grade 10 students from 413 high schools and secondary schools,
31,000 Grade 12 students from 218 secondary schools and NSOA, and
125,000 Grade 8 students from 3,433 primary schools participated in the same examinations.

The government must urgently address the huge demand for higher education in Papua New Guinea. With intervention, the country will see a lot of students staying in school and becoming unemployed.

TVET Expansion: Target Grades 8, 10 & 12

The increasing number of secondary school students calls for a significant expansion of tertiary institutions and higher education facilities to meet the rising demand.

To equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for the job market and prepare them for success in their communities, the TVET sector needs to be expanded rapidly.

Provincial governors and education funds from MPs' DSIP and PSIP should be directed towards these initiatives.

Final words

More students are taking national exams this year (2023) than last year (2022). This is because more students are enrolled in secondary school. There are now more students taking exams in Grade 10, Grade 12, and Grade 8.

To meet the growing demand for higher education, the government should expand tertiary education infrastructure, especially focusing on TVET programs.