THE Department of Education has officially transferred two major administrative powers to the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG).
The announcement was made by the Education Secretary, Dr. Uke Kombra during the official opening ceremony for the 35th Senior Education Officers Conference (SEOC) at Hutjena Secondary School oval on Monday, July 13.
The move follows the Wabag Joint Statement, which mandates the gradual transfer of national powers to Bougainville.
The two administrative functions that the Bougainville Department of Education will manage independently are:
1) School Registration and Compliance: The ABG will now audit local school standards, identify prospective institutions, and approve new school registrations directly with the Teaching Services Commission.
2)Tuition Fee Funding: The ABG will directly manage and oversee the distribution of tuition fee funds to local schools, replacing the previous centralized national payment system.
“From this day onwards, the Bougainville Department of Education will now directly manage the tuition fees that will come to schools in Bougainville,” the Secretary confirmed.
The Secretary emphasized that while Bougainville navigates its political journey toward independence, the education of children must remain separate from political shifts. Using the traditional mona (canoe) as a metaphor, the Secretary noted that navigating these structural changes requires everyone to row in perfect unison.
Dr. Kombra also highlighted long-term strategies, including the PNG Education Transformation Vision (PNGETV) 2075 and the 1-6-6 school structure. These initiatives aim to eliminate the colonial system of student dropouts, ensuring every child can seamlessly complete their education from prep through Grade 12.
To support this, the national government is supporting infrastructure development with a K 2-billion funding over 10 years.
Additionally, the Secretary announced the rollout of EduNex, a new digital classroom technology tool. In recognition of hosting this historic event, Hutjena Secondary School will be the very first school in the country to receive the platform.