FANTASY ON PNG SCHOOLS

There is a report on PNG Attitude written by one Betty Wakia who is studying in China and now compares the education systems of China and Papua New Guinea.

Perhaps she went to high school in this country at one of the better national schools or private schools. But the picture she paints of PNG schools is pure fantasy. Please click:

Comparing the education systems of China & Papua New Guinea

She talks of the teacher focus in Chinese schools and the respect that Chinese students have for their teacher.

She states that lessons in China tend to be teacher centred with students listening politely to lessons by the teacher. That is how outsiders may see it anyway.

But she is way off the mark in PNG schools. She claims that lessons are mainly student centred. That is not true.

Classes in PNG usually consist of the teacher writing a summary on the blackboard with students copying into their books.

Many would not understand what they were writing. But the law of averages says they may pass the progress tests in objective question form. They just tick and flick.

There is usually only one text book in the class that is held by the teacher. Restraints on use of the school photocopy machine mean that summaries from the text book are copied into the student’s work book.

Betty thinks that class sizes in Papua New Guinea are around 25-30 students. Most schools I have seen have classes around 60 with 3 students crammed into desks designed for 2 students and 20 students sitting on the floor. That is the real PNG Betty.

She claims that teachers tend to stay with the one grade whereas Chinese teachers stay with their classes throughout school. She does not accept that there are specialist teachers in Papua New Guinea. An English teacher teaches English. The Mathematics teacher teaches mathematics.

She claims that the practice of looping is becoming popular in the United States, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Not true.

What happens to primary teachers whose class has just graduated to high school? There is no point in their starting at elementary level and working back up.

Betty sees nothing but advantages for the teacher in staying with the class from one grade to the next. The teachers know the students better. Parents know the teachers better. That is fantasy Betty.

Surely teachers are allocated to classes at the discretion of the principal in terms of a track record of performance. The reality is that the better teachers are placed with classes facing the external exams.

Students in Papua New Guinea have been suffering under Outcome Based Education and the lack of research material. It is all not working due to a lack of English in reading, writing and speaking.

The Universal Basic Education programme is pushing illiterate students forward towards grade 12. It will get to the point that they have to be ignored by the teacher in the interests of the rest of the class.

Betty claims that in PNG schools, personal expression is valued. That is not true. In some schools there is a cult of silence in classes in which pressure is put on the clever students by the lower skilled students to close their mouths.

She says that many lessons are based on discussion of material. Students are expected to contribute. Not true except perhaps in the higher level schools.

There is no time to discuss issues as the summary has to be copied down from the blackboard. Remember that students have no text books.

Betty claims that class room participation is a significant part of a student’s grade. A student who is attentive but does not speak up could receive a lower grade. In some classes that could account for many PNG students not speaking up and not attentive.

She claims that PNG education focuses on the individual. Self esteem is considered critical. Sadly that is fantasy. Focus is often on a mass of students crowded into a class room.

Student marks are confidential. Assignments and tests returned to students are handed by the teacher upside down so that the mark is not seen by other students. It will also reduce intimidation of the brighter students.

That is a false step to maintain esteem. A student could be in class for years and not have to account for marks to anyone. The report card goes into the river on the way home and never seen by parents.

Betty claims that PNG students can write whatever they want to as long as they provide evidence. That is false rubbish.

Many students across the nation have no view on anything, except fishing in the river and hunting kangaroos.

So Betty has written a report to paint a completely false picture of the Education system of Papua New Guinea.

Many students do not read newspapers nor books. Their vocabulary is limited. Their desire to learn new words is absent. They copy theory down into their work books. That could account for 80% of students in this country.

Betty has not written an accurate picture of PNG schools. There are increasing problems of lack of class room space, poor resources, students unable to read or write except in very limited words and unable to understand the English spoken by the teacher.

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