Australia Awards in PNG Download Application Forms 2024

Australia Awards is seeking suitable applicants to apply for the Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education short course.

Download the application forms 

The course is targeting employees from the Department of Education and other education agencies who are in roles where they have responsibility for teaching, designing and implementing STEM Education policies and programs including at the national, sectoral and provincial levels.

To apply for this short course, applicants must:

• Demonstrate direct involvement in STEM Education in your area of work
• Have a minimum of five years of professional teaching or curriculum development experience (which could be in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, ICT, Agriculture, Biology, Fine Arts, Design Technology, Science, Applied Science or Engineering)
• Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and teacher registration
• Have a minimum academic English proficiency level equivalent to IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 575 (shortlisted applicants may be required to undertake a test facilitated by Australia Awards).
• Have the commitment to prepare and implement an innovative work-based project as part of the course requirement

The applicant must engage actively and foster networks with multiple stakeholders, including in Australia, and disseminate learning from the course with students, colleagues and peers in your respective organisations.

Applications close in November every year.

Download a Graduate Certificate in STEM Factsheet list below and click HERE.

• Graduate Certificate in STEM Application Form_GoPNG (Word)
• Graduate Certificate in STEM Application Form_GoPNG (PDF
• Graduate Certificate in STEM Application Form_Private Sector & Civil Society (Word)
• Graduate Certificate in STEM Application Form_Private Sector & Civil Society (PDF)

Source: Australia Awards in PNG

Free Education in PNG Poll Result - Investigate TFF Funds

The policy started in 2011 and implemented nationwide in 2012 by the then government under Peter O'Neill ministership and spearheaded by the then Education Minister Nick Kuman (now Minister for Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, DHERST). 

A detailed review of the policy titled Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education can be found via the link.

In a recent online poll on Twitter, PNG Insight followers were asked what new PNG Government under PM James Marape and new Education Minister should do about the free education policy, the Tuition Fee Free Education (TFFE) Policy. 

Poll result

What should the present #PNG govt do with the Tuition Fee Free Education Policy?

— P.N.G. Insight (@PNG_Insight) October 2, 2019

The result indicated that there is a need to investigate the TFFE funds allocated to schools, private companies and MPs since 2012. It is a massive task, but if done properly the investigation could set the foundation for better education policy relating to free education in the country. 

Warrant of arrest issued for former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill

A WARRANT of arrest was issued by the Waigani District Court last Friday for former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu/Pangia Peter O’Neill for official corruption.

Facebook/Royal PNG Police a/PC D.Manning

Whilst I cannot reveal any specific details at this point in time due to the sensitivity of the investigations I can confirm that police investigators in an ongoing investigation applied to the district court for the arrest warrant for Mr O’Neill which was granted last Friday.

 The warrant was obtained upon the weight of the evidence brought forward by the investigators.

The warrant of arrest is now in the process of being served on Mr O’Neill. He will be processed by police after which he has the right to bail and defend himself in court. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law so Mr O’Neill’s constitutional rights are being respected in that regard.

PIC: Parliament biopage/ PETER Oneill

Investigations into this particular case involving the former prime minister has been ongoing and the weight of the evidence that came to light before the police detectives necessitated an application to be made to the courts for a warrant of arrest.

We have made it very clear when we came into office that we will look into all outstanding criminal cases of national significance including police shootings as well as high level corruption cases.

Rest assured that under my leadership I will not allow police investigations to be politicised nor allow for people with vested interests to use the police for personal vendetta or a witch-hunt. 

Investigations that can stand-up to rigorous scrutiny and checks and balances will be allowed to progress into the arrest stage. Under my leadership I will not allow some of the reckless behaviours of the past where arrests were made without credible evidence.

All other outstanding cases are also being pursued with this in mind and details will be made known to the public going forward as and when warranted.

By way of update, as of this morning Mr O’Neill was located at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Port Moresby. The Acting Deputy Commissioner Operations Mr Donald Yamasombi has made contact with Mr O’Neill and has requested directly to him that he accompanied him to Boroko Police Station to be processed. As we speak he has refused to cooperate with Police thus far.

Now my appeal as the Acting Commissioner of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary to Mr O’Neill is for him to avail himself to investigators and allow due process to be completed.

Thank you.

David Manning, MBE, DPS, QPM

Acting Commissioner of Police

Tuesday 15th October 2019

Source: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Facebook page

UN PNG Volunteer and Job Opportunity

UN WOMEN PNG: The Spotlight Initiative is looking for 15 civil society experts in ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG). 

The Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership between the EU and the UN to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. 

To nominate, download an expression of interest form and nomination sheet here 

▶ https://tinyurl.com/tpstvy7

Visit our website for more information including nomination rules ▶  http://bit.ly/35qaG0W

We encourage everyone to share this information to ensure we find the best civil society experts to help us on this quest. 

Apply now! Nominations close on 13th December 2019. (This volunteer opportunity is closed - check this page for the latest job and unpaid volunteer opportunity with UN Women PNG. 

UN Women Papua New Guinea | UNDP in Papua New Guinea | United Nations Population Fund Papua New Guinea | UNICEF Papua New Guinea

BIRTH CERTIFICATE MANDATORY FOR OBTAINING NEW PNG PASSPORT

Chief Migration Officer says the office of Immigration and Citizenship authority will not compromise the integrity of PNG passports.

Birth Certificate Mandatory when applying for PNG Passport (Image: Facebook)

He said this on his social media page today in response to a Drum piece in the Post Courier suggesting his office should relax its rigid stance that citizens should acquire national identification cards in order to apply for a passport.

PNG national identity cards

The Coca-Cola national schools rugby league tour to Queensland Australia was deferred because 75 per cent of the Under 18 boys and girls do not have the national identity cards to obtain a passport.

“The students are from around the country and the process is quite rigorous to get the NID certificate,” PNGRFL chief executive Reatau Rau said.

Kantha in response to the Drum piece said: “Let me place on record that a birth certificate is a mandatory requirement for a passport and ICA will not compromise the integrity of our PNG passports.

NID and birth certificates required for PNG Passports

‘The detection of false NID birth certificates will affect the integrity of our passport system and affects the position of countries granting visa on arrival for PNG passport holders,”he added.

The NID is a fundamental and primary requirement for a passport and once this is compromised our passports will be questioned at entry ports in other countries and we will not be able to get to a stage of introducing biometric or e-Passports,” he said.

“Our birth registry process and NID must step up and improve or we will not get anywhere. All support must be given to Mr (Noel) Mobiha who is doing his best under trying circumstances.”

Source: Facebook October 1

GOVT TO RELOOK TFF POLICY

The Marape-Steven Government will be re-looking the Tuition Fee free policy - a key policy of the former Government.

TFF policy/Facebook/NBC News

The policy introduced in 2012, enabling access to education for over one million of the country's young, has seen approximately four billion kina invested to date.

In Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister James Marape, while commending the former Government for the policy said it has both good and bad sides – and needs to be relooked.

He said the Government does not want to encourage lazy citizens, rather productive ones.

“There are also downsides to it, in as far as the quality interventions are concerned.

Many of our parents and citizens have pulled back, thinking that is 100 percent Government obligation.

We will look into that policy as well without putting burden on our parents and citizens. 

We are looking into a program where there is a shared responsibility. 

I am divorcing and distancing from an absolute free education in our lower level systems but we are working at a higher education – skills level, college level, certificate level.

And we are trying to share arrangement at the lower level, I have citizens from my electorate who are adults – they say Government is paying for free education and they are not responding or contributing to the economy but are instead lazying their way through life,” Mr. Marape said.

Meantime, Papua New Guineans attending tertiary institutions in the country can expect to get some assistance with their tuition fees by 2020.

This following the announcement by Prime Minister James Marape in Lae recently, of the setting up of an 'endowment fund' that will see students benefiting from interest-free loans.

Mr. Marape elaborated on this today in Parliament, saying the Government understands the current burden that families have to pay annually for fees - which lies in the K5-000 to K20-000 mark.

He said the catch is that - all students will now have to register through the National Identification project in order to benefit from this scheme.

Mr. Marape was responding to questions by North Fly MP James Donald regarding the Government's announcement of an endowment fund to assist students at the tertiary level.

Source: NBC News 9th October 2019