The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Ranked No 1 in PNG

 The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech, Lae) has been ranked the best university amongst six (6) Papua New Guinea universities according to UniRank. UniRank is an international higher education directory that reviews accredited universities and colleges in the world.

For the University, this is great news since it used to be third and second-best in the last couple of years but made its way to number one in August 2020.

With the current ranking, PNG University ranks are as follow:

1. University of Technology 
2. Divine Word University, 
3. The University of PNG, 
4. The University of Goroka, 
5. Pacific Adventist University and 
6. PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment.

The six universities are ranked based on the criteria that the university is; 

• being chartered, 
• licensed or 
• accredited by the appropriate Papua New Guinean higher education-related organization, offering at least four-year undergraduate degrees (bachelor degrees) or postgraduate degrees (master or doctoral degrees) and delivering courses predominantly in a traditional, face-to-face, non-distance education format.

According to the UniRank website, it aims to provide a non-academic comparison of achievements or merits by the higher learning institutions based on valid, unbiased and non-influenceable web metrics provided by independent web intelligence sources rather than data submitted by the Universities themselves.

PNG Unitech is also ranked first in the top universities on the Facebook category on UniRank with the most likes at 12, 798 (August statistics) followed by Divine Word University (8,753), Pacific Adventist University (8,462), PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment (7,039), University of Papua New Guinea (5,458) and University of Goroka (5,061).

Source: https://www.unitech.ac.pg/

Mathematics Exam Resources Website for PNG students and teachers

Your initiative (Mathematics Examination Resources website) is welcomed as an approach students can prepare themselves well ahead of examinations.

Consequently, the issues and challenges are briefly discussed to deepen members of the public perceptions of the examination papers, examination, teaching and learning, school curriculum, memorisation and thinking strategies.

Readers' note: The comments are by/from the former PNG Education Department Secretary Dr Michael Tapo in response to the new initiative we spearheaded - making online resources for teachers and students. We thank Dr Tapo for reaching out and for the comments below.

The math resource website is called Mathematics Examination Resources (MER). Here is why (The Reason) we created this Maths resource website. Take a look and let us know what you think.

An in-depth article from Dr Tapo was published on the PNG Insight parent website titled 'Thinking Strategies' Help Students Solve Problems' - read here.  

Immediate challenges in educational approaches

Central to all of the approaches taken, the century-long learning phenomenon of Thinking versus Memorising of facts in the late 1960s -1980s is worth revisiting. Approaches such as:

• students were routinised memorising of facts, and
• learn to remember and then display this in Grade 6, Grade 8, and Grade 10 examinations. 

When they fail to understand the examination questions and cannot remember the facts they fail to meet the achievement level for high school or tertiary and university education.

Problem Solving and Thinking Strategies

School education examination in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from 1975 to 2020 and beyond is all about Knowledge Gathering and Remembering and is significant and very much dependent on the quantity of teaching, quality of teaching, and teacher quality.  

The problem has been and continues to be so and is an urgent and acute problem associated very much to Problem Solving or best described as Thinking.

Almost all high and secondary school education in Papua New Guinea failed to focus Problem Solving Strategies. And have limited teaching and learning strategies that address the scientific approach (of teaching thinking strategies) required to solve problems.  Hence, its an apparent strategy and definite means to know the facts from knowledge and skills taught and learned in primary, high and secondary examinations.

We know revising for exams is important because it helps to stop anxiety and stress. We created a Maths website where you can download Grade 8, Grade 10 and Grade 12 General Maths and Advanced Maths Exam Papers. GET THEM HERE.

Importance of teaching the syllabus 

The amount of time spent in teaching and learning mathematics, Science and Grammar is interconnected to the number of multiple practices each child assumes in class in these subjects is significant to avoiding dependency on past and recent examination papers. 

The current culture of schooling and learning is dependent on schools and teachers must teach children more and make them work harder to increase their information on the level of knowledge and skills planned around the subject learning being learned.  

Foremost, the level of individual child intelligence and termly achievements in a subject learning area must be corrected with the facts (knowledge and skills acquisition). Students primarily learn best if they can remember these facts. 

Knowledge and skills being examined 

The ambiguity of language and phrases used in the past and more recent examination papers indicate the facts of knowledge and skills being examined can or could lead to confusion.

Some questions can mislead students to select or choose to answer a question in future examinations because of a similar question and answer from the past examination papers and likely answer that is expected in the 2020 or 2021 examination papers.

The quest for high and secondary examinations is placing more emphasis on the thinking strategies which lead children to creativity, problem-solving, inquiry, and critical approach to thinking in a subject learning area being learned. 

Expectations and clarity of examinations 

Papua New Guinea children in the 21st Century must be encouraged and have a voice in determining what is taught in the National Curriculum, what is examined and the rules applied to assessing and measuring of facts in knowledge and skills in examinations.

Quality of teaching and teacher quality needs major shifts towards thinking strategies and say goodbye to the current heavily dependent ideology of the 'chalk-talk and certainty principle which is central to the there is a right and wrong answer to every question! 

Dr Michael F Tapo, EdD 

Grade 8 Online Skill MCQ Test and Answers | Quick Feedback

Grade 8 Online Skill MCQ Test and Answers is a quick test and feedback online assessment.  The online MCQ test is an addition to the Grades 8, 10 and 12 Exam Papers for Free Download initiative on our new Math Exam Resource website. 

Check it out

This earlier post ( Grade 8, 10 and 12 Math Exam Resource) gives more info about the different features of the website.

We announce three (3) new features. In an effort to help students perform well in mathematics examinations in Papua New Guinea, we:

(i) developed an Online Skill Test for Grade 8 Students, 

(ii) compiled past exam papers (10 years collection) for Grade 8, 10 and 12 students to download for free and revise for mathematics examinations, and

(iii) arranged Grade 10 Exam questions (2010 - 2014) by PNG School Syllabus Unit where students can revise by unit/topic in preparation for the mathematics exam. 

This is an independent initiative of PNG Insight. We do this in our free time. And, want our readers to be part of it. Be part of our initiative for the benefit of our children.

Visit PNG Mathematics Exam Resources for Grades 8, 10 and 12 Teachers and Students.

We know revising for exam is important because it helps to stop anxiety and stress. We created a Maths website where you can download Grade 8, Grade 10 and Grade 12 Mx General Maths and Advanced Maths Exam Papers. GET THEM HERE.

UNITECH and UoG Yearly STAT-P Test - Is it Necessary?

The PNG University of Technology (UNITECH) and the University of Goroka (UoG) are the only tertiary institutions running the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) where candidates must book and pay a fee of K100 to sit the test. 

The two universities WILL ONLY CONSIDER grade 12 school leavers who sit the test.

1. Grade 12 School Leavers (SLs) 2020

The PNG University of Technology (UOT) will only consider applications of Grade 12 School Leavers (SLs) who sit the STAT P test in November 2020.

2. Grade 12 School Leavers (SLs) 2020 and Pre-Service Non-School Leavers

The University of Goroka (UOG) will only consider applications of Grade 12 School Leavers (SLs) and Pre-Service Non-School Leavers who sit the STAT P test in November 2020.

Here are some points/questions I have for discussion.

•  Is this STAT-P mandatory? If so, why is it that other tertiary institutions are not conducting it?

• If a very bright straight-A student does not sit this test, will he or she be denied a space because he/she did not sit the test?

• On the other extreme, how about all the applicants to these two universities who sit the test but miss out on selection. What is the justification for collecting their K100 fess?

• How will these two universities reach all secondary schools in the country, those in very remote schools, how will such students sit this expensive test?

• Can the two universities (UNITECH and UoG) explain to the public about the importance of this test and how it will benefit these students over students in other institutions whose students don’t sit the test?

• Is there any good reason why the government should not intervene in this expensive and unfair activity?

The post was originally posted on the Facebook discussion group by John Wanis.

IS STAT-P TEST NECESSARY ENTRY TEST FOR PNG INSTITUTIONS? Share your experiences and opinions. Leave a comment below.