PNG Insight has received numerous comments and questions regarding the 2024 Grade 11 selection for Momase, Highlands, Southern, and New Guinea Islands regions. Rather than answering individual queries, we aim to address the question in this article: when will the official Grade 11 selection list be released?
Note that some principals have already released the Grade 11 selection lists for their schools, but the official selection lists for this year are NOT published on the education department website at the time of this article.
UPDATE 20/12/2023
The 2024 Grade 11 Selection Lists are NOW OUT & AVAILABLE HERE (Released 20/12/2023):
Grade 11 Online Selection
The General Education Services Division (GES) is responsible for leading and facilitating the release of the Grade 11 selection list, as detailed in this article. Since 2020, the Education Department has conducted the selection online. This simply means principals select students and submit their data to GES for finalisation.
With the streamlined online process, one might expect the selection to take place in less than two weeks after the Grade 10 results are released. Two weeks was the timeframe when principals and provincial committees flew to Port Moresby for manual selection.
(Note that DHERST Grade 12 selection takes LESS THAN 35 SECONDS. That's a fact, here is the PNG Insight's video on YouTube of the DHERST secretary explaining the process.)
Grade 11 Selection List for 2024: Published
Some secondary schools have released their own Grade 11 selection lists for 2024, either on notice boards or social media.
While this may seem convenient, be aware that these lists are unofficial unless officially signed by the Education Secretary. If the Secretary's signature and date are absent, disregard the list as invalid.
If the Education Secretary's signature and date are present and current, it implies the Grade 11 selection lists are ready. They are now in the hands of the GES Division and the ICT Division of the Education Department.
Unfortunately, even with the online system, there will be a wait. Patience is key.
Past Release Dates: A Reference Point
PNG Insight has tracked education and development trends in Papua New Guinea since 2014. The following dates, which we have recorded and analysed over the years, may be helpful for reference.
Note that since 2020 (inclusive), selections have been conducted online, but the release date still falls around mid-December, similar to when the selections were conducted manually. No impact on effectiveness and efficiency.
Year – Release Date
2023 – Wed 20th December 2023 (Online Selections)
2022 – Mon 19th December 2022 (Online Selections)
2021 – Wed 22nd December 2021 (Online Selections)
2020 – Wed 23rd December 2020 (Online Selections)
2019 – Tue 24th December 2019 (Manual Selections)
2018 – Thur 20th December 2018 (Manual Selections)
Discussion Points (Grade 10 Results and Grade 11 Selections)
The Department of Education should prioritise the inclusion of both the Grade 10 Exam Results Release Date and the Grade 11 Selection Publication Date within the official Education Calendar. Or at the least, inform the public like what the higher education department (DHERST) did this year.
Doing so would provide clear direction and a definitive timeframe for the Measurement Services Division (MSD) and General Education Services Division (GES) to work towards.
This clarity would not only benefit the MSD and GES, but also students, parents, principals, and the general public. These events, being national and recurring, deserve planning and transparency. There's no need to keep people guessing.
We hope this information clarifies the current situation and provides some reassurance to students and parents awaiting the official Grade 11 selection list.
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PNG Insight is an education and development blog started in 2014. Since then, we've followed the Grade 10 and 12 Exams and Grade 11 and 12 selections with keen interest.
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