More than 900 elementary teachers serving in Morobe Province are now one step away from becoming fully registered teachers with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
The teachers were provisionally admitted by the TSC yesterday after receiving their early childhood certificates.
The teachers were trained by the Papua New Guinea Education Institution (PNGEI) with funding support from the provincial government in 2021 and 2022 following an agreement signed in 2020.
Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra, who was in Lae to officiate at the first graduation ceremony of Heldsbach campus of PNGEI, said provisional registration is then followed by full registration.
You are receiving your provisional registrations and you will receive your full registrations later if you perform well
Dr Kombra told the 955 elementary teachers
Dr Kombra said after being certified the teachers can be able to apply for training and upgrade their qualifications from diploma to degree and having the same benefits and privileges enjoyed by teachers who are full time members of the teaching service.
The next level is to get a diploma in early childhood education or diploma in primary teaching.
Dr Kombra
He said the challenge now is the change in the average of grades for entry application.
To get a primary school teacher in diploma, one has to get a GPA of 2.4, however, the Department of Higher Education that is responsible for teacher’s training has now accredited it to 2.8 GPA.
Kombra
Provincial deputy administrator for social services Robin Bazzinuc thanked the Early Childhood Education (ECE) partners for ensuring the teachers reached this stage.
This gives justice to our committed elementary school teachers, many of whom are not on paid salary, not trained as teachers but have been teaching our young children.
You are the veteran, justice has been done to you. You will be graduating with a license to teach and it is where you remember you have started a journey.
Robin Bazzinuc
Mr Bazzinuc added that there is a need for more elementary teachers to be trained in the province.
Director PNGEI Dr Zui Neofa said teachers are retiring and there is a need to bring in more teachers through intensive training.
Skilled and qualified teachers are vital for quality ECE as it is a step forward to bridging the gap of educators’ competence in ECE.
Dr Neofa