It is with great pleasure that I, Wesley Raminai, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology announce the transfer of the Public Nursing Colleges previously under the oversight of the Ministry and the National Department of Health to the Ministry and Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST).
This is a milestone achievement for the Higher Education Sector in Papua New Guinea and consolidates NEC decision #25/2017; to Reform, Transform and Unify the Higher Education Sector. The Marape-Basil Government places great importance on Higher Education and sees it as a catalyst to promote economic growth and national building.
In August 2020, Parliament passed a set of laws that paved the way for the reform to take effect. The laws that were passed and effected include the following:
- Higher and Technical Education Reform Act 2020;
- Higher Education General Provisions (Amendment) Act 2020;
- Education (Amendment) Act 2020;
- National Training Council (Amendment) Act 2020;
- Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (Amendment) Act 2020;
- Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Amendment) Act 2020;
- University of Goroka (Amendment) Act 2020, and;
- University of Papua New Guinea (Amendment) Act 2020.
In accordance with Section 5 of the Higher Education Reform Act 2020, the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, through National Gazette published on Thursday 12th August, 2021, sets Monday the 5th of July 2021 as the transfer date for the Public Nursing Colleges.
As stipulated in Section 6 of the Higher Education Reform Act 2020 transferred institutions are subjected to the operations of this Act and the Higher Education General Provisions (Amendment) Act 2020.
This means that the transferred higher education institutions (in this case the Public Nursing Colleges) are deemed to have been approved or registered as higher education institutions in accordance with the Higher Education General Provisions (Amendment) Act 2020. Accordingly, they are subjected to quality assurance processes regulated by DHERST and National Higher and Technical Education Board (NHTEB).
As part of the reform process, the Ministry and DHERST are focused on improving and transforming the standard and quality of higher education in Papua New Guinea.
Hon. Wesley Ora Raminai, MP
Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Sports
Member for Kagua Erave