a) School education
Education in PNG, particularly secondary education, is a privilege that many do not enjoy. Adult literacy rates are at approximately 57%, reflecting this low level of educational opportunity. Most schools are run by private providers, mainly church groups. While there are nine years of compulsory education, commencing at age six, only about three quarters of students in this age range are enrolled in school. In secondary schools, the statistic is even less with only one quarter of students enrolled. The general model of education is 2-6-4-2.
Pre-Primary Level
There are a number of private kindergarten operators.
Primary Level
Attendance at Primary education in the urban areas is stronger than the outlying and remote areas.
Secondary Level
Around 24% of students attend years 7-10 at secondary school.
Non-Government Schools
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea operates 500 schools and is a major educational provider. Other church groups also operate secondary schools, but there are only a small number of government run secondary schools in operation.
b) Vocational education and training (VET)
Twenty-six vocational training centres operate in PNG to prepare students for careers in a wide range of different types of employment.
c) Higher education
Pre-Tertiary and Tertiary Education
There are six universities in PNG of which four are government run and the remaining two are privately operated. Programs offered include: medicine, pharmacy, health sciences, physical and natural sciences, humanities, law, business and social sciences. Complementing these are a host of institutes of higher education and academies. Together, these are:
Balob Teachers College
Catholic Theological Institute, Bomana
Chanel College, Kokopo,East New Britain
Christian Leaders Training College, Banz, Western Highlands
Divine Word University, Madang
Kandep Provincial High School, Wabag
Goroka Baptist Bible College
Institute of Business Studies, Port Moresby, NCD
Kudjip College of Nursing, WHP (also known asNazarene College of Nursing)
Madang Teachers College
Madang University Centre
Melanesian Nazarene Bible College, Western Highlands
Pacific Adventist University, Boroko, NCD
Pacific Bible College, Pabrabuk, Nebilyer, Western Highlands
Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech), Lae
Port Moresby Business College, Port Moresby, NCD
Tambul Bible College, Tambul, Western Highlands
University of Goroka, Goroka, Eastern Highlands
University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, NCD
Recent moves to improve the provision of internet access and the development of online programs has catalyzed the Papua New Guinea Academic and Research Network (PNGARNET). This is operated by a consortium of public and private tertiary institutions and overseen by the Vice Chancellors Committee. It is a satellite-based model with the hub in Hong Kong, necessary given the terrain, remoteness and relative seismic activity in the region.
Overview of Distance Education
Papua New Guinea has a long history of distance education, dating back to the pre-Independence period. The College of Distance Education (CODE) provided secondary education using correspondence-based distance education as long ago as 1956. CODE had a critical role in training the first generation of PNG civil servants.
The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) Department of Extension Studies (DES) was established in 1974. Distance student numbers at UPNG were small until the 1990s, when a rapid increase began. As a reflection of this change, the DES became the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) in 1994. Total distance education (DE) enrolments reached 14,632 in 1999. During the last decade, UPNG has continued to expand its distance education programs. In 2009, it launched its first overseas Open Campus: at Honiara in the Solomon Islands.
The second PNG university to enter the distance education marketplace was the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUOT). This institution began providing DE-based matriculation courses in 1993. The PNGUOT’s first university level distance education course was a Diploma in Commerce (Accounting), which was offered initially in 1996. In recent years, distance education has become an increasingly important part of the PNG education system. A number of private and public universities have entered the distance education market or are poised to do so. These recent initiatives are detailed below.
A major distance education provider at the secondary school level is Flexible Open and Distance Education (FODE), the former College of Distance Education. FODE offers correspondence-based distance education programs aimed at:
- students in Grades 6 to 8 in remote schools.
- students wishing to complete Grade 9 and 10 education through distance education.
- school leavers wishing to complete secondary diploma/certificate equivalency programs for tertiary entry.
Across PNG, FODE has 20 Provincial Centres, as well as 25 Affiliated Study Centres. FODE has an active enrolment of 46,000 students.
In 2011, the World Bank provided funding of US $6 million for the period 2011–16 to increase the number of out-of-school youth completing secondary programs through FODE. As part of this project, the FODE's Grade 11-12 enrolment program will be established in at least one secondary school in each of Papua New Guinea's twenty provinces.
FODE is not the only provider of distance education at the secondary level. The Papua New Guinea University of Technology has a correspondence-based High School Certificate Program delivered across PNG. PNGUOT has a network of 28 Study Centres across PNG providing support for the Program.
The International Training Institute (ITI) is a private training college specialising in diploma-level business and IT programs. The ITI has run distance education courses for almost a decade, using correspondence and email. ITI has a flexible distance education model. There are no formal deadlines. Learners can sit exams at any time after enrolment or submit assignments after the end of the standard 17 weeks training period.
The Professional Staff Training Centre (STC) has offered a distance learning program since 2004. The STC provides the full range of Cambridge International College programs. However, most enrolments are in diploma-level courses in business, tourism and related fields.
A number of PNG universities now have established distance education programs, some of which date back many years. The major provider remains the UPNG. The UPNG offers the following distance education programs:
Certificate in Tertiary and Community Studies (CTCS)
Diploma in Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Management in Public Policy Management
Bachelor of Science (First year only)
Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies
Bachelor of Nursing.
The administration of the UPNG’s distance education program rests with the Open College, the former IDCE. The Open College is responsible for the running of UPNG’s 10 Open Campuses and 22 Provincial Centres.
At present, the teaching of distance education courses is based on printed teaching materials and face-to-face tutorials at Open Campuses and Study Centres. Audio cassettes and CD-ROMS are also used in some courses.
Another PNG institution with an established DE distance education tradition is the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUOT). At present, the majority of distance education enrolments are at secondary school level, the Diploma in Commerce (Accounting) being phased out some years ago.
The University of Goroka began offering in-service degree-level programs using Distance and Flexible Learning (DFL) in 2010. This step followed the establishment of a School of Distance and Flexible Learning. The courses available were in the fields of Primary Education, Secondary Education and Educational Administration & Leadership.
The Divine Word University is a Catholic-affiliated private university with a growing distance education program. The University’s Faculty of Flexible Learning (FFL) offers the following courses:
Diploma in Management
Diploma in Project Management
Diploma in Management/Media
Diploma in Human Resource Management
Diploma/Certificate in Workplace Training and Development
Bachelor of Management
In association with other Divine Word Faculties, the FFL offers
Advanced Diploma in Emergency Medicine
Diploma in School Management and Leadership
TQUP Diploma in Teaching
Bachelor of Disability Studies
Bachelor of Educational Studies
Bachelor of Special Education
TQUP Postgraduate Diploma in Education
Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning
Master of Education (Curriculum)
Master of Educational Leadership
Master of Leadership in Business Administration
Master of Social Studies
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Like a growing number of distance education providers in the Pacific, the Divine Word University uses the Moodle LMS for the delivery of online education.
2003-2006 was a period of expansion for PNG’s distance and technology enhanced learning systems. There were significant advances on the institutional front with PNG participating in the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC), establishing the Papua New Guinea Association of Distance Education (PNGADE) and also being part of the Pacific Islands Regional Association of Distance Education (PIRADE).
PNG Higher Education institutions face many challenges, including: constraints to public funding; poor physical facilities; inadequate information technology, libraries, equipment and teaching resources; outdated curriculum; poor student services and amenities; problems with recruitment and retention of teaching staff; problems with preparation of students for entry to university; safety issues and other barriers for female students; administrative and management weaknesses; and =limited research capacity.
Administration and Finance
Following the establishment of the provincial government system in 1978, Papua New Guinea had a highly decentralized education system. The decentralized laws gave the provinces responsibilities including planning, financing, staffing and maintaining general education institutions up to Grade 12. This includes pre-school, elementary, primary, secondary and vocational schools.
PNG’s University system comprises six accredited universities1, plus the Commission for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education, supervised by the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology. The Commission consists of seven government-appointed, non-salaried commissioners and a chairman. The Chairman of the Commission is appointed by the National Executive Council for a term of five (5) years whilst the commissioners are appointed for a term of three (3) years (as required by the Higher Education Act). The commissioners are appointed on the basis of their experience in higher education, administration, planning, legal and commercial, including female representatives and representatives from church agencies. Each Commissioner (other than the Chairman) has an alternate commissioner who is appointed in the same way and subject to the same conditions.
The PNG Government funds the four public universities’ salaries, entitlements and some infrastructure. The two private universities receive government scholarships and Divine Word University receives some additional funding. Government budgetary support for universities has deteriorated in real value since the 1980s, with allocations declining even more relative to population. The Government encourages universities to raise revenue from student fees, research and consultancies and PNG’s National Plan for Higher Education II foreshadows the Government’s intention to see universities self-funded.
PNG is currently developing a range of national strategic plans that will inform and guide the future direction of the sector. These include the National Strategic Plan, new medium and long term development strategies and sectoral plans, such as the National Higher Education Plan (2010-30).
Higher Education Reforms
PNG’s Higher Education sector has made important gains in recent years including the introduction of national guidelines for institutional accreditation, improvements to the Tertiary Education Scholarship Assistance Scheme, increasing gender balance of students, and diversification of academic programs offered.
The reform of higher education is not currently an issue of pressing concern to PNG policy-makers. The challenges faced by tertiary providers are less pressing than the worsening crisis in the delivery of basic education. In practice, significant higher education reforms will probably need to wait the resolution of more pressing reforms to the PNG civil service.
Future Direction of Tertiary Education
The PNG Government’s Vision 2050 implies a substantial growth in the higher education system. For some years, the Government supported the expansion of distance and flexible learning approaches in the university sector. This official enthusiasm accords with the trends at a number of universities, and is expected to continue.
Information and Communications Technology Initiatives
a) Information society strategy
The opportunities for using ICT in distance learning in Papua New Guinea are huge. However, the lack of basic services, such as good roads, good communication services and electricity, prevents widespread use of ICT in distance learning.
Like many other Pacific nations, PNG has long had a telecommunications regime dominated by a single monopoly provider (Telikom). In recent years, the country has moved towards deregulation, granting two new mobile licenses in 2007. Despite growing deregulation, the country’s ICT capacity is low, even by Pacific standards. Levels of ICT penetration and teledensity are extremely low, and much ground remains to be made up. Even now, the majority of rural schools lack reliable electricity and school ICT infrastructures are often non-existent.
There have been signs of progress in recent progress. In 2008, PNG’s first ICT Syllabus document was written: the ICT Syllabus for Upper Secondary Grades (Grade 11- 12). This document was the result of a syllabus writing workshop in Madang funded by the Australian Government. Over recent years, secondary schools in different parts of PNG have begun to implement this Syllabus, a process which represents a major step forward.
b) Major e-learning initiatives
Papua New Guinea joined the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative in 2008. A number of pilot deployments have taken place in recent years.
c) Benchmarking e-learning
None identified.
d) Support for OER
Papua New Guinea is part of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning. The VUSSC has the creation of OER as one of its major program goals.
e) Government entities
Ministry of Education
National Training Council (NTC)
Office of Higher Education
f) Associations and networks
Pacific Association of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (PATVET)
Pacific Regional Initiative for the Delivery of Basic Education (PRIDE)
Papua New Guinea Academic and Research Network (PNGARNet)
g) Distance education journals
None identified.
Interesting Distance Education Initiatives
In 2010, the Divine Word University become the first higher education institution in the Pacific to provide free netbook computers to its students. The Dell Latitude netbook computers were initially issued to third and fourth-year degree students. Each computer included not only Windows 7, but also licensed copies of Microsoft Office 2007 Professional and Microsoft Project 2007 Professional. The goal of the DWU’s laptop initiative is to provide students with 24/7 access to the University’s Moodle LMS and other electronic resources. Even in the developed world, such an initiative would be unusual. For such a project to be undertaken by a small private university in PNG is testimony to the willingness of the institution to stand on the leading edge of educational technology.