PNG to review education system

The National newspaper reports:

28 JANUARY 2009 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- Papua New Guinea’s education department will conduct an extensive audit of the national education system’s school curriculum reform that it took on board in 2003.

The department’s curriculum development and assessment division (CDAD) said the review was necessary to monitor the first five years of implementation of the reform curriculum.

CDAD head Dr Eliakim Apelis said the department was hoping the findings would help the department redirect the focus of the curriculum reform in the system to ensure a smooth transition for implementation in the next five years.

Dr Apelis said the review was timely amid increasing public views in recent times over the outcome-based education (OBE) and its implementation in schools.

The introduction of the education reforms in 1993, Dr Apelis said, resulted in the structural reform of nine years of basic education that included elementary prep, one and two, (top-up) primary being grades three to eight while making grades nine to 12 the levels in secondary school.

The reform of 2003 introduced a more relevant method of learning aimed at meeting the needs of Papua New Guineans by providing relevant basic education for most of the students…. (ENDS)