[lg policy] Papua New Guinea: Education reforms catastrophic for us

[Harold Schiffman]

Education reforms catastrophic for us

A LOT has been said about the education reforms but the issue has gone
cold. It must be revived and debated publicly because the
outcome-based education is catastrophic for Papua New Guinea.  Let us
look at why it has been catastrophic. Firstly, the structural reforms
are such that Grades Seven and Eight are kept at the primary level.
Students are mostly in their adolescent stage where learning of all
aspects are at their peak.  The reform is such that only basics are
taught, disregarding human norms of behaviour and attitude.  Also, the
discipline system there (primary) may not be to expected standards as
to train a well-disciplined and behaved student now as compared to how
it was like when Grades Seven and Eight were at a high school with an
effective discipline system and rules of conduct and behaviour.
Students in both grades are those mostly in their teens and when kept
in an environment with children of Grades three to Six, they may lose
their sense of maturity, thereby displaying behaviour and attitudes of
immaturity as they move to Grades Nine and 10.

The high/secondary school system did better when students were groomed
for four years, Grades Seven to 10. Secondly, the curriculum reforms
are such that students are taught basics from a choice of very broad
topics in all subjects.  Even certain units in subjects are omitted so
an average child will be taught to an extent where the person will not
be properly educated on certain subjects. In other words, there is no
quality and PNG qualifications would not be recognised abroad. In
addition, someone passing out from the PNG national education system
would have a low IQ because of the kind of the curriculum we have
adopted.  This is now becoming evident in classrooms where students
seem to have poor general knowledge and low intellectual ability.  PNG
is looking at not being able to export professionals such as doctors,
engineers, etc; instead, it will be exporting fruit pickers to
Australia and New Zealand.

This is a shame for PNG. Thirdly, the Education Department’s language
policy on curriculum reforms is a total mockery of the language of
communication, learning and instruction in the school environment.  In
fact, the language policy contradicts its purpose as a tool for better
learning.  As a teacher, let me reveal the very frightening
experiences I am currently encountering in my Grade Nine and 10
classrooms: * My students cannot write a complete sentence in English;
* My students are very passive and cannot answer the questions I am
asking, especially questions requiring an explanation, description,
etc;  Instead, they can answer questions requiring a “ONE” word
answer; * My students do not have a habit of reading and doing
research; * Assignments handed in are not properly done; * My students
are not confident to interact with me and I take it that they do not
have the language confidence and ability to communicate effectively; *
Many of my students are unable to pronounce words correctly; and the
list goes on.

The OBE curriculum is centred on active participation by students in
learning but I am beginning to experience the opposite where students
are passive. Sometimes I feel as if the students are dumb or that I am
talking to the wall. This is because our curriculum development
officers and policy makers in Waigani are enjoying their salaries and
assuming that things in remote Manus, Sepik, New Ireland, Simbu,
Western, Southern Highlands, etc, are getting on fine. As a teacher, I
am telling you guys in Waigani that this is a nightmare teachers can
do without. I pity the students who are going through this as a result
of poor decisions.  I call on Dr Joseph Pagelio and his team in
Waigani to be realistic about the education reforms and its effect on
our education system. Fourthly, I want to challenge PNG teachers and
the PNG Teachers Association to join the debate on the reforms.  Why
are teachers keeping quiet when the reforms are not working and are
very detrimental to PNG? They are not reforms but rather deforming our
children.
It is not too late to get rid of OBE.

Last but not the least, I see the so-called reforms as a medium to
promote hidden agendas of foreigners. The Government blindly voted to
accept the reforms because they do not care, and have the means to
send their children overseas. If any of our MPs had bothered to study
the bill before passing it, they would have known that it was not
possible for us to implement it as we did not have the means. I
suggest the old system be reviewed and improved on than to overhaul
the system entirely.  I hope Papua New Guineans with a heart for the
future will take on the battle and stop the current education reforms
which are catastrophic for PNG.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/1920#

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