Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

150311 SPEECH: Diploma in Education Management Training Program

Remarks by James Hall, Minister Counsellor, Australian High Commission, Port Moresby at the
Official Launch of the National Department of Education Diploma in Education Management Training Program
11 March 2015
 

Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to address this official launch

It is a privilege to be able to represent the Australian High Commission at the launch of the Diploma in Education Management and to welcome those who have just started on such an important program of study.

I’d like to start by addressing directly the participants of this training program.

Thank you for your attendance and commitment to the program.

Your hard work will make a positive change to your own life and to the provinces and communities in which you live and work.

International Research by the Wallace Foundation in 2004 found that effective leadership and management is second only to teaching in its impact on student learning.

What you do in your daily role will play a key part on shaping the future of the young people in PNG.

We hope this training course will give you the ideas, the skills and the knowledge to help you to make the very best of the important role you play in the education system.

Papua New Guinea has achieved significant progress in the education sector over the last 15 years.

This includes an increase in net enrolment rates per and an increase in basic education completion rates

The reform program continues to be implemented under the Universal Basic Education Plan 2010-2019, with specific focus on access, retention, quality, equity and management.

Reform does not, however, stop at enrolment.

Creating learners who are literate and motivated to stay in school and learn, requires good management and engaging teaching.

Ensuring learners progress on to secondary, further and higher education and gain the skills to become economically productive individuals requires excellent leadership and effective teaching.

A better education leads to better jobs and higher earnings.

Better educated women have healthier children and their children are more likely to complete their education.
This Diploma in Education Management is one of the ways in which Australia is responding to the Department of Education plans to improve education management and raise the quality of teaching and learning in PNG.

The program aims to improve the knowledge and skills of key managers working at the Department for Education, the provincial departments of education, provincial-level education service providers, church education agencies and district education officers across the country.

The Diploma is a customised training program developed by the Divine Word University, in partnership with the Department of Education and funded by the Australian Government.

It addresses the specific skill and knowledge capacity development needs for basic education in PNG.

I commend the Department for Education for supporting the recruitment of an equal number of female participants.

I can also commend the Department for encouraging provincial participation – it is pleasing to see that a quarter of participants are from the provinces.
Educational opportunities like the Diploma are critical to ensuring women can contribute to, and benefit from PNG’s economic development.

This also helps to provide role models for girls and young women in schools.

We know that having women in the workplace improves capability and leads to better performance.

Internationally, investing in the education of women and girls has been shown to deliver immense economic and social benefits.

It is the single most important activity that any country can support.

The Diploma in Education Management is just one area in which the Australian Government is working with the Government of PNG to support the development of education and improving the skills, leadership and governance of the public service.

The Governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea agreed in December 2014 to establish the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct with the goal of influencing the transformation of the PNG public sector.

The Precinct has the strongest support of PNG Ministers for Public Service and for Higher Education, Sir Puka Temu and Mr Malakai Tabar, and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Julie Bishop.

This Precinct is supporting the transition of the School of Business Administration at the University of Papua New Guinea into a new School of Business and Public Policy.

It is also supporting the revitalisation of the PNG Institute of Public Administration, another partner in the development of this Diploma in Education Management course.

I’d like to acknowledge the work of Dr Tivinarlik of Divine Word University and Ms Vicki Roberts the Curriculum Development and Training Adviser, the support of Secretary Dr Tapo and Deputy Secretary Dr Apelis and the team at the Education Capacity Development Facility.

In 2015, we will work with the teacher training institutions in PNG to develop high quality teacher training programs to support improvement the quality of teaching in the classroom.

Australia understands that a more effective education system, with access to quality classroom teaching and learning opportunities, will be critical for PNG’s future prosperity.

The Diploma in Education Management course will play an important role in building the capacity of education service delivery.

On behalf of the Australian High Commission, I wish you well in your studies and I look forward to hearing about your progress.