Publications
Summary of Publication
The Papua New Guinea Partnership Fund (Education) program (PPF) has made a significant contribution to the elementary education sector since its inception in 2017. The $69.4 million program was funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) between 2017-2022 to improve the coverage of quality basic services across Papua New Guinea (PNG) and achieve critical and sustainable outcomes at scale. Initially the program covered the sectors of governance, law and justice, health, and education, but the program scope was subsequently narrowed to support the priority sectors of health and education. The program was one of seven administered through the PNG Australia Governance Partnership (PAGP).
Based on PPF findings, the key recommendations for the DOE and development partners to consider are:
- Combating the chronic absenteeism of children should be made a priority for future education investments. Reforms to the quality of teaching, resources and the curriculum will have limited effect if this entrenched behaviour remains unchanged.
- Building on the success of PPF’s SBC Inservice training and post training support initiatives, opportunities exist to institutionalise continuous teacher professional development for early grade teachers.
- While continuous teacher professional development can contribute to improved teacher quality, if teachers are not motivated then their commitment level is low. Teacher motivation is closely associated with recognition, accreditation, and salary and benefits. Future education investments should recognise the role of volunteer teachers in the early grades and work towards supporting their registration and ensuring they are on payroll.
- Opportunities exist to continue to improve inclusive practices and strengthen initiatives that enhance student learning. There have been some notable successes in this area by PPF, which could be built upon.
- Future education investments must be aligned to DOE priorities including the NEP, work in partnership with DOE and PDOEs and be represented at education stakeholder forums to ensure uptake and expansion of proven and cost-effective practices.