A CHAIRMAN of a teachers college in the Highlands has called on Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra not to brand a few colleges around the country as unregistered, but do proper checks to see if they are going through the registration process.
Chairman of the Kelua Teachers’ College (KTC) in Mt Hagen Thomas Kopal made the comment after refuting Kombra’s claim in this paper on Friday that six teachers’ colleges were unregistered and should not enrol students.
Kopal said KTC had met all the requirements to be granted registration but the process was slow so four batches of students were waiting for the formal graduation.
He said since 2015, technical officers from the Education Department’s division of implementation and monitoring and teachers’ education visited the college to see its establishment and the requirements met to gain recognition and registration.
He said after that, the KTC visit was tabled in three meetings, one at Alotau and in Port Moresby.
Kopal said during the final meeting in Port Moresby last Oct 29, the colleges were advised that the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) had taken over the management of the higher institution in the country.
Kelua Teachers’ College has completed the process and requirements for the registration.
He said even the Western Highlands government recognized KTC.
What Kombra said about the colleges was not right and I also call on the chairmen of other colleges to stand up and speak.
Kelua Teachers’ College’s existence is recognized and is manning its normal operations.
– Thomas Kopal