Grades 8, 10 and 12 students are on a long Christmas Holiday - three months of rest and respite. Some are heading back to the villages, others to towns and cities - but will there be opportunities in the Apprenticeship and Vocational Training sectors for Grades 8, 10 and 12 students in Papua New Guinea?
Whilst the Grades 8, 10 and 12 Students are enjoying their vocations, they are sure to ask two important questions:
How have I performed in the national examinations?; and
Will I be selected to continue to the next level?
PNG Grades 8, 10 and 12 Students Performance in Examinations
The first question can only be ascertained by each student depending on how good they were leading up to the exams.
Students' performance in exams can be attributed to several factors such as how well they prepared (were prepared) for the exams as well as Nature and Nurture.
May the best students be given one of the limited places they rightfully deserve.
This brings me to the second question.
Grades 8, 10 and 12 Students Selections 2023
Based on the proportion of tertiary places available this year and the preceding years, 96% of Grades 8, 92% of Grade 10 and 81% of Grade 12 students will NOT make it to a tertiary institution this year.
By this, I mean only a select few will end up in universities, colleges, vocational centres and other higher learning set-ups.
Those fortunate enough to continue should be congratulated.
They have earned the right to proceed. They passed exams - they can enjoy the privileges (pride) and challenges higher educational institutions bring.
And deservedly, they should hold their heads up and be proud to continue.
High number of Grades 8, 10 and 12 Students pass out
What about the bulk of students who would not have continued? What will they do?
It saddened me to think that in the first year of formal education, little or nothing is available to those students.
What can be done now to take them on board the education train?
It is imperative to note that the planned phasing out of examinations at Grades 8 and 10 will NOT improve the number of students entering tertiary institutions.
It will further decrease the university access rate (ACCESS), but only maintain the number passing through from Grades 8 to 10 to 12 (RETENTION).
PNG Grades 8, 10 and 12 stats
In 2015, over 120, 000 grade 8 students sat exams. This number as a percentage of 4500 spaces (at tertiary institutions) is 96%.
In fact, if the government phases out Grades 8 and 10 examinations, about 120,000 to 150,000 students are likely to end up completing Grade 12.
The problem of retention is addressed, but the problem of access to higher education is not solved. It remains the same.
Phasing out Grades 8, 10 and 12 Exams
Other factors needed thorough consideration before exams are phased out are the availability of resources, the number of teachers as well as primary and secondary schools' capacity to hold larger student populations.
This exercise, if goes ahead, will put a huge strain on schools' ability to function.
It was good news to have heard that the Minister of higher education has given out cheques to several universities in the country to expand their capacities. This shows that there is likely to be an increase in spaces at tertiary institutions.
But, what is the projection - what number are we talking about in 5 - 10 years' time?
A mere 20,000 spaces would not be enough to suffice the appetite for higher education.
Technical and vocational schools way forward
For the sake of reasoning, if we put an estimate that in the next 5 years 150,000 grade 12 students will vie for a tertiary institution space.
The spaces increased (from the current 4500) to 10, 000 (then to 20,000 in 2023.
For it to work, the government needs to improve the university/higher education access rate to over 50% of Grade 12 graduating population. The fact now is that this change will make NO difference as far as access is concerned.
Papua New Guinea will STILL have a Grade 12 drop-put rate of over 90% in the next 5 to 10 years with this change- the same as today!
Still, there won't be enough university and college spaces to take in the high number of students. That is why there is a NEED to seriously increase the spaces are technical and vocational schools
Exams are the corner-stone of PNG education system
So the public statements about phasing out examination have to be backed by some foresight. By this, I do not mean make examinations history - no.
The public examination system has to be strengthened - made rigorous. Address the problem of cheating. Empower Measurement Service Division. Or, come up with alternative measures to overhaul and make examination processes tough - challenging.
The question of catering for those who are dropping out of the formal education system can be addressed by focussing on Internships, apprenticeship schemes and vocational training.
