Minister for Higher Education and Sports, Wesley Raminai is looking at effective partnership with stakeholders and government agencies to leverage and improve what seems to be low level quality education in the country.
Minister Raminai highlighted this during his briefing with PNG National Research Institution (NRI) Council and its members recently.
Raminai assured PNG NRI Council that he would support the work of the institute during his term by taking on board the challenges faced by the Institute in terms of staffing and budget cuts.
He said that the country is going through tough times in terms of resources and because of Covid-19 and other problems faced in the country.
The Minister also raised concerns about population growth, which is about 3% per annum, and the negative implications on the country if opportunities are not provided for the youths to be meaningfully engaged in the economy.
In particular, there is a big question on the quality of education of students going to higher learning institutions and eventually the workforce.
“There is a need to ensure high quality education outcomes for both social and economic development,” Raminai said.
The minister said although the ministry he leads is big, he will try his very best to lead the coordination of the institutions under his ministry for better outcomes.
“The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Sports is a big ministry. There is so much to do and my office will try its best to work with the universities, with PNG NRI and the research institutions and all other agencies.”
He urged the PNG NRI Council to provide leadership for the institute to conduct research into areas like tribal fights, challenges in the education sector, corruption, and the PNG political system.
“There are so many issues to research. We have other research institutions in the country and I have to see how we can all come together and work on a way forward,” Raminai said.
He said the institutions will need to work together to focus on research that will address the main issues facing the country and with the outcomes of the research being used for informed decision-making to improve the welfare of the people.
Minister Raminai’s recent visit to PNG NRI was to find out and learn the core roles, responsibilities, functions and key activities that the institute is undertaking in terms of research.
PNG NRI Acting Chairman, Wilson Thompson met minister Raminai upon his arrival and briefed him of the institution’s core roles and responsibilities.
The institute and its members were honored to meet minister Raminai during what was said to be the first meeting of year 2021.
Mr Thompson congratulated minister Raminai for his recent appointment as Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Sports Minister.
Thompson then briefed him on the PNG Knowledge Hub Precinct development and how the PNG NRI is positioning itself in supporting the Marape-Basil government going forward.
Mr Thompson assured the minister that the institute remains focused and would ensure its work addresses PNG’s long-term development challenges.
