Education Partnership for PNG Secondary Schools - Aust and PNG

The education parnership for secondary schools was launched by the Australian Foreign Minister and Minister for Women, Marise Payne during her recent visit to Papua New Guinea.

AUSTRALIA AND PNG SECONDARY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
Launching of AustPNG Sec Sch Pa

The Australian Foreign Minister said in one of her tweets that
'This important program will strengthen our education links between schools and students in #Australia and #PNG. πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡΅πŸ‡¬'

Detail of the PNGAus Secondary Schools Partnership Program - reposted -


The PNGAus Partnership Secondary Schools initiative is a unique opportunity for Australian secondary schools to partner high performing Papua New Guinean secondary schools.

This program aims to strengthen relationships between Papua New Guinean and Australian secondary schools to deepen people-to-people links and build secondary education capabilities in STEM, English and student agency.

12 Secondary Schools Partnership 


The pilot initiative will see 12 high performing secondary schools in Papua New Guinea and 12 secondary schools in Australia engaged in reciprocal immersion experiences in PNG and Australia during 2019 and 2020.

The program will involve three phases; pre-departure, in-country and post-trip, which will include:​


  • ​​formal professional learning for teachers collaborative projects amongst schools student leadership initiatives; and
  • a reciprocal in-school component with delegation from partner schools.

This initiative  has been developed under the PNG-Australia bilateral partnership as a new school education initiative enhancing engagement between PNG and Australian schools.

The PNGAus Partnership Secondary Schools initiative is fully funded by the Australian High Commission in PNG to support schools to stimulate their curiosity, understanding and interest in engaging more deeply with Australia.

Benefits for Schools

The initiative aims to develop intercultural skills, student leadership capacity and personal connections amongst counterparts.

The three key objectives of PNGAus Partnership Secondary Schools initiative are:

  • improve secondary school education capabilities in targeted areas
  • build student empowerment through the development of leadership skills and an expanded world view; and 
  • strengthen the public diplomacy between the two countries. 



NRI: PNG SCHOOLS HAVE GREAT ACCESS BUT LACK QUALITY

Papua New Guinea currently has 7298 elementary schools and 3543 primary schools throughout the country.

Elementary and primary schools number
NRI | Facebook

The National Research Institute's Universal Basic Education Program Leader Dr Kilala Devette-Chee told Prime Minister James Marape during a recent visit to the Institute that despite this huge number there are only 219 secondary schools and 114 TVET and vocational schools.

Dr. Devette-Chee says this clearly indicates that while there are more students having an access to education, the available tertiary institutions are not able to cater for all of them.

She says while the Tuition fee free policy has greatly improved access to education for children, the quality is lacking and it is something that must be addressed immediately by the Government.

Meantime, findings from a research conducted by the National Research Institute's Universal Basic Education program shows that although there is a good increase in the access and retention of children for education in the country, there is more to be done to improve the quality aspect of it.

Dr Kilala Devette-Chee says this was revealed through the Institute's bi-annual provincial and district profiles, from which a nation-wide research study was done and completed in December.

Dr. Kilala Devette-Chee says from this study, review is now being conducted into the UBE system for the four regions of the country and it should be completed in December or early next year.

Picture Source: National Research Insitute via NBC PNG News Facebook page

PNG Public Holidays, School Exams, Term Holidays and Cultural Shows 2024

The dates may change but here are the Public Holidays, School Exams, Term Holidays and Cultural Shows as seen in the past years. You may have to confirm the PNG public holiday dates when the National Gazette 2024 comes out. 

Check out the 2024 Gazetted Public Holiday PDF file here and download it!

As for the Terms holiday, check out the Department of Education website or this post for the latest term holidays and examination dates.

For cultural shows and events in Papua New Guinea, please visit the organisers' website, and Facebook pages or contact them directly if you are planning a trip.


PNG 2024 CULTURAL SHOWS DATES - PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2023

PNG Public Holidays, School Term Holidays and Cultural Show Dates

Public Holidays in PNG

  • New Year's Day 1 January
  • Good Friday 19 April
  • Easter 21 April
  • Queen's Birthday 10 June
  • National Remembrance Day 23 July
  • Repentance Day 26 August
  • Independence Day 16 September
  • Christmas Day 25 December
  • Boxing Day December 26 December


Papua New Guinea School Holidays

Here are the term months and holidays to take note of. Refer to the Department of Education website or check this article for the latest updates on term dates and holidays

       School Holidays   Month      Duration
  • Term 1 Holiday     April         1 week
  • Term 2 Holiday  July          2 weeks
  • Term 3 Holiday     Sep          1 week)
  • Term 4 Holiday     Dec          Christmas Holiday

PNG National Examinations

The national examinations in Papua New Guinea fall in the following months:

EXAMINATION                                    MONTH
  • Grade 10 Written Expression Exam   June
  • Grade 12 Written Expression Exam   August
  • Grade 10 Major Examinations           October
  • Grade 12 Major Examinations           October
  • Grade 8 Examination                         October

The school year ends early in December 2024


PNG Cultural Shows and Dates

        SHOWS & FESTIVALS                  MONTH
  • Tumbuna Festival Tour                     May
  • Mask Festival, East New Britain      July
  • Crocodile Festival, Sepik Region     August
  • Mount Hagen Festival/Show            August
  • Kalam Festival, Simbai                    September
  • Goroka Show                                   September
  • Kutubu Kundu & Digaso Festival     September
  • Morobe Show                                  October
  • Huhu War Canoe Festival               October
  • Kenu & Kundu Festival                    November
  • Karimui Show                                   November

Public Holidays, School Exams, Term Holidays and Cultural Shows 2024


If you are planning to visit the cultural event in the provinces, check with the local tour operators and guide before booking your trips.

You can check the latest examination dates and school term dates at the PNG education department's website. The private school terms are different, so check with your local schools to confirm the dates. 

FaceApp - Why You Should Delete or Never Install It

FaceApp is a mobile application for iOS and Android. The Face app is developed by a Russian company called the Wireless Lab.

Face app sensitive phone data

How FaceApp Works

According to Wikipedia FaceApp uses artificial intelligence to generate highly realistic transformations of faces in photographs.

The app can change a person's face to make it smile, look younger, look older, or change gender.

The Russian developer Wireless Lab released the app in January 2017. It is becoming popular among young users who want to predict their appearances or play around with one's looks.

Access to iOS and Android photos

The viral smartphone application has seen a new surge of popularity. The app requires "full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data". This could pose "... privacy risks for millions of users' according to one report from the US.

Many of the app's users will recall the breach of privacy laws in the US involving Facebook and Russians in a bid to influence the last presidential election.

What happened is that Facebook was slapped with US$5 Billion fine [Forbes report] for its part it this saga.

Unfortunately, other parties got away since they are in jurisdictions where privacy and data protection laws are weak.

So, next time you want to install FaceApp, ask yourself if that is the right app to use. And, importantly, would you want to give a Russian tech company *access* your phone?

Papua New Guinea has highest rates of use of off-grid solar lighting in the developing world - IFC Report republished

Access to sustainable and clean energy, even the ability to be able to have a simple light at night to read or study, can have a huge positive impact for those people in need. For a country like Papua New Guinea, which is undergoing economic and social transformation, the ability of its people and its businesses to access energy has been a challenge. 

Off grid solar in png

Papua New Guinea has, in fact, one of the most acute energy access challenges in the world. Only 13 percent of the population of over eight million people are connected to the electricity grid. Yet, as this report shows, in just five years Papua New Guinea has achieved dramatic growth to become a leader among developing countries in the use of off-grid solar products.

It’s in this environment that IFC’s Lighting Papua New Guinea program has been able to demonstrate impact by developing a market for quality verified solar products. 

Six years ago, only two percent of the population used any type of solar product and relied on firewood, kerosene and other products, harmful to people and the environment. It was a time when cellphone penetration was growing rapidly, but the means to charge those phones was lagging. 

Now kerosene has been usurped, and there’s a prevalence of generic offerings, battery powered torches and lanterns, alongside quality-verified off-grid solar products – many with an ability to charge a phone.

The report’s findings reveal a dynamic market. It’s evident in the numbers – the market for lighting solutions in PNG is estimated at $259 million a year and is expected to grow over the next five years. 

The report’s focus on the demand and supply sides will help companies understand market potential, in-country challenges, and the opportunities for growth.

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Credit: A report by IFC.

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