Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) initiated a Global vision for improving the standard of
living, sustaining the natural environment and living coherently in the 2nd
Millennium.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) as one of 193 Member States of the United
Nations (UN) signed up to this union right after its independence on the 10th
of October 1975. MDGs from 2000 to 2015 had eight goals related to
- (1) Poverty;
- (2) Primary Education;
- (3) Gender Equity;
- (4) Child Mortality;
- (5) Maternal Health;
- (6) HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases;
- (7) Environmental Sustainability; and
- (8) Global Partnerships for Development.
1.0. Purpose of the report on UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION COMPLETION IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
There
is an urgent need for the National Department of Education (NDoE) to have a
centralized data collection mechanism to collect, analyze and present accurate reports
and or disseminate them to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government and stakeholders.
Even
after 40 years of independence, the NDoE through the Measurement Service
Division (MSD), lack the ability to gather accurate data nationwide.
This
write-up emphasizes the importance of achieving not only Universal Primary
Education (UPE) completion but also proposes a way to improve educational data
gathering in PNG.
One of the main constraints of achieving Universal Primary
Education (UPE)/Universal Basic Education (UBE) is the unavailability of accurate
data for developing sectorial policies and plans or making realistic future
projections.
Key indicators for measuring educational achievements like
retention rate, enrolment rate and education quality must reflect real
situations.
1.2 What is UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION, UPE?
UPE
is Goal 2 amongst the eight MDGs. The goal emphasized the need for compulsory,
free and quality education for both boys and girls of primary school age
children.
Primary education, especially the education for children seven to
fourteen years of age, is seen as a powerful driver for social and economic
development and for archiving other MDGs. (Worldbankorg, c2003).
Structural Reform (1993) came into effect in
PNG where community schools ‘ topped up’ to primary schools. Instead of Grade 1
to Grade 6 with an examination at the end of year six, the elementary schools
had Grade 1 and Grade 2 identified as Elementary 1 and 2.
The transition happened
at the end of Elementary 2 where pupils move into Grade 3 and continue to Grade
8 without having to sit any national examinations in between.
Evidently, the
structural adjustment increased the progression rate from 41 percent in 1992 to
73 percent in 2001 (Primary School Age, UNICEF PNG, n.p.).
The diagram illustrates a standard educational structure by considering existing structures
in the United Kingdom and International Education Agency (IEA) in PNG.
The
focus, as far as UPE was concerned in PNG, was geared more towards the seven to
fourteen years old and less on preprimary and post-primary levels.
2.0 RESEARCH FINDINGS
2.1. Policy targets in Elementary and Primary Schools
Specific
Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), Cohort Retention Rate (CRR) and Youth Literacy Rate
(YLR) were marked for achieving in 2015.
Policies on structural, examination
and school fees at primary schools were implemented to achieve GER of 85 percent,
CRR at 70 percent and YLR at 70 percent by 2015 (MDGR, 2004).
In fact, the
rates were set below 100 percent to be more realistic and achievable. For
example, expanding access at elementary schools is directly proportional to GER.
The understanding was that if elementary schools were established in each
village, enrolment would increase.
Also, within the primary schools, the number
of students continuing school to Grade 7 is maintained with the phasing-out of examinations
at Grade 6.
The NEP 2005 – 2014 identified enrolment age at six years of age. Enrolling students early, at an age of 6 or 7 years, in elementary schools increases their chance of remaining until completing primary education.
Cultural obligation (especially on girls) and intrinsic
social norms tend to force students out of school, especially when there is a disproportion
in the age gap within the classroom.
It is a serious concern for students who may
have been in their late adolescence and early teens and doing Grades 6, 8 or
10.
The table shows a projection of students’ enrolment age. Over a third of students
enrolled in Grade 1 on 1999 aged nine and ten. In Grade 10 they would
have been in their late adolescence.
2.2. Pre-reform and post-reform: Comparison of Grade 6 and Grade 8 data
Recent
policies, in particular, the Tuition Fee Free (TFF) Policy 2011 have been
thought to have positively impacted school enrolment and retention.
However, data from primary schools before and
after the reforms have indicated little improvement.
The number of Community
Schools (now Primary Schools) increased every five years in the hundreds until
1999, but was unchanged in 2015:
- 2224 schools, 1983;
- 2503 schools, 1998;
- 2673 schools, 1999; and
- 2663 schools, 2015.
The projection for the Grade 6 population
in PNG for 2004 was 151,513, yet the population for Grade 8 in 2015 did not reach
the target 10 years later.
There
is a strong indication that after 15 years of MDGs, the numbers of primary
schools had remained static, and there was very little increase in the number of
students taking exams.
PNG's inability to maintain and identify the
development dilemma in these two key areas could be attributed to several factors.
The key inadequacies are the inaccurate data and a lack of policy guides: either way, there
was gross misinterpretation and representation of data from the start.
2.3 PNG Education Plans and Challenges
PNG
government plans on education showed that achieving UPE is working progress
(MDGPR, 2004) and for PNG to achieve UPE it needs careful planning (Richard
Bridle, UNICEF, 2007).
A holistic approach is required at all levels of
education.
At elementary levels, the demand for teachers saw untrained teachers,
who were educated to either Grade 6, Grade 8 or Grade 10 recruited to teach
elementary pupils.
The pupils would have been taught by certificate holders
at Grade 1 and Grade 2 were now taught by teachers with very low English and
mathematics competencies.
Improved training for teachers, particularly in
Literacy and Numeracy, at Elementary schools can improve the quality of
knowledge and skills (Ivan Ngoboka, c2015) that are being imparted to students
early during their education life.
Educational
Sectorial Review (ESR) 1991 recommended the need for PNG to improve access
rate, maintain students in school and reform curriculum (A Kukari, c2012, p.3).
The report uncovered
that ninety percent of school-age students have not attended school, the attrition
rate at forty-five percent and the curriculum was long overdue for reform.
Several
education plans were developed after the review including National Education
Plan 1995 – 2014, Universal Basic Education (UBE) Plan 2010 – 2019 and recently
PNG Vision 2050.
The plans after the 2nd Millennium also took into
consideration the MDGs. In particular, UBE was aligned towards achieving
compulsory, free and quality education for all young boys and girls - a
sectorial policy framework built on MDG Two, the UPE.
The focus of these plans was to increase
access, retention and quality by:
- improving pupils’ indicative rates like the enrolment, retention, attrition and progression rates;
- improving teachers' training and achieving students to teacher ratio of 40:1;
- improving educational services and procurements; and
- developing relevant curricula to be implemented and monitored.
3. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RWANDA, PAKISTAN AND PNG
3.1. In Numbers: Rwanda From Civil War To Achieving UPE
Rwanda
Civil War ended officially in 2003. Reports on Rwanda achievements indicated
that they have achieved major UPE milestones in under twelve years though they had
more to do with reducing the high drop-out rate (Ivan Ngoboka, 2015).
The numbers indicating their positive
story are:
- 1870 preprimary schools were constructed for three years of pre-primary education targeting children between the age of four and six years of age;
- two institutions offered degree courses for pre-primary teachers, including 13 colleges offering diploma and certificate courses in the same field;
- 9 years free basic education implemented in 2006;
- the number of primary schools between 2000 and 2012 increased by 24 percent;
- enrolment in 2013 figures increased by 68 percent;
- rate of students who have never been to school halved to 9 percent from 18 percent;
- the ratio of boys to girls in school had increased within 12 years from 50.9:49.6 to 49:3: 50.7, a shift which saw an increase in the girls’ school population.
3.2 Pakistan’s Constraints
It
was indicative that Pakistan was not going to achieve UPE two years before 2015.
A report on Pakistan’s constraints and challenges summed that the government
needs to show a ‘high level of political will’ to achieve UPE (Zakar, Muhammad
Zakria et al, 2013).
There was significant variation in enrolment rate where
some parts of the country were at 60 percent whilst one was at as low as 39 percent.
A constitutional amendment in 2010 granted sole responsibility for policy
reform, implementation programs and monitoring.
The decentralization of education
functions resulted in complacency in many parts of Pakistan.
The following are
obvious constraints, among many, that hindered achieving UPE:
- insufficient educational service;
- untrained teachers usually appointed by political recommendation;
- lack of community participation;
- Illiterate parents; lack of political commitments; and
- Poor infrastructure and learning resources.
3.3. PNG In Perspective
PNG’s
government policies on education and challenges are manageable and achievable.
Correct
data and careful planning are required to achieve educational goals going
forward.
UNICEF Deputy Director for East-Pacific highlighted that if Cambodia,
a poor country, could achieve UPE ‘there
was no reason why PNG could not do it’.
Figures released by NDoE in 2015
showed that of the 120,000 Grade 8 students, 50.83 percent (61,000 students) do
not continue to Grade 9 at lower secondary school.
The projected number of primary school
enrollment by 2014 was at 90,703 students (NEP 2005-2014). Indicatively, the
number of students sitting exams surpasses the projected figure, and students present in the classrooms at lower secondary schools remain very low.
There was a glaring
disparity between the number of primary schools and the number of secondary schools. In
the same year (2015), there were 2263 primary schools and 256 secondary schools. In view of these figures, it appears that infrastructural development does not catch up with population
growth.
To
fulfil policies and plans on UPE in the country, both educational and
political leaders at national and local levels must know that there is a need to invest time, money and effort in education.
In the research article Challenges for Quality Primary Education in Papua New Guinea—A Case
Study the researchers stated:
''…
the quality of leadership demonstrated to lead the educational change [in PNG]
has been disappointing. Inadequate leadership at the administration and
curriculum levels had a negative impact on the quality of education. Achieving
quality education has also been hampered by inadequate funding, scarcity of
skilled human resources, and inappropriate infrastructure in all educational
institutions'' (Hindawicom, c2011,Volume
2011).
In fact, there are similarities between PNG and Pakistan as far as constraints are
concerned. It was difficult to identify a developing trend given limited facts
and figures.
Whereas, Rwanda had presented a clear case. PNG needs to learn
from success stories.
This means having strong leadership in education circles
who can be the main drivers in achieving the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals 2016-2030 Goal 4 about achieving quality education in early
childhood development, care, preprimary education, primary education and
secondary education (Wwwunorg,
c2016)
4.
A PROPOSAL IN BRIEF: KEY FACTOR FOR
ACHIEVING UPE, DATA
PNG
has many constraints with its growing population. There is a need for
collecting and disseminating vital statistical data.
This study proposes that a data collection mechanism is established to address the problem of the unavailability of reliable data.
To create an independent
data management organisation, separate from and from the National Planning
Department, NDoE and MSU.
One way to make it happen is to create a customized website
for collecting useful data for measuring key UPE indicators.
This exercise has to be negotiated and
made mandatory for schools in the country to comply with.
5. CONCLUSION (UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION COMPLETION IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA)
Though the achievements of MDG were mixed there
were strides made in the formulation of educational policies and plans aligned to
achieving UPE.
Learn the lessons to learn from Rwanda and Pakistan.
To achieve
the MDG 2, it is recommended that the government of PNG, through NDoE, implement
the following strategies:
- Increase the number of secondary schools from 256 to 2000.
- Expand the existing secondary schools by increasing classrooms.
- Promote vocational and technical secondary schools for Grade 8.
- Develop stringent planning, monitoring and management mechanisms.
- Train preprimary teachers up to degree level.
- Increase capacity at teachers' training institutions.
- Mandatory Grade 1 school-age at 6 years old.
- Develop data collection and dissemination mechanisms.
- Reduce the dropout rate (50.83 percent) at Grade 8, by setting targets for the 8 points.
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