PNG’s STEM Education is NOT in Crisis. - Dr Clement Waine.

PNG’s STEM Education is NOT in Crisis.

By Dr Clement Waine, PhD

There is a load of hogwash and half truths floating around!

Here are some facts to demystify, clear the confusion and help people understand.

1. The concept of the National Schools of Excellence and STEM Education was a brainchild of the then Education Minister Hon. James Marape, MP, in Somare Cabinet in 2009 in a NEC Decision that was made in Wabag, Enga Province. 

2. ⁠It took a decade before the policy was translated into realities and implemented. 

3. ⁠Hon. Marape became PNG’s 8th PM in 2019 and launched the STEM Education Policy in 2020. 

4. ⁠My Team designed and built the STEM Education Curriculum in earnest in 2020 and rolled it out in 2021. 

5. ⁠The two peak bodies in Australia - ACER and ACARA - reviewed the curriculum and gave glowing remarks and supported its introduction. (In fact, Australia has already adopted PNG’s STEM Curriculum). 

6. ⁠STEM Education was introduced to PNG in 2021 through the National Schools of Excellence. This year 2025 is our 5th intake and last year 2024, we graduated our 3rd cohort.

7. ⁠The Marape-Rosso government is fully supportive and I expect STEM Curriculum to grow into a major government intervention in the coming years.

8. ⁠The government funded all STEM Students going overseas. Yes, there was funding crunch last year. K8 million allocated for STEM Scholarship was released very late and we were asking around from other departments to assist.

9. ⁠Government has provided K54 million in total under Budget 2025 for STEM Education (scholarship, teacher training, curriculum development, and so on). In fact, it is now a line item under Department of Education budget so they will be regular funding every year.

10. ⁠So far we have seen above 90% success rates for STEM graduates entering universities locally and abroad. No other program can boast of this level of success.

11. ⁠Every year the top 200 STEM Students are selected to go overseas. We send them to USA, China, and India for academic programs related to STEM and Fiji for pilot training.

12. ⁠Assisting students putting together their applications for overseas universities is no mean fit. It’s all hands on deck approach and is 24/7 given time differences between PNG and USA and India and Europe.

13. ⁠Out of the 43 first cohort that enrolled at USA universities 20 PNG Students appeared on the President’s List (GPA 3.8-4.0/4.0) and 8 were on the Dean’s List (GPA 3.5-3.8). That’s 28/43 (65% top students in their universities). So PNG had an “unfairly large representation” in these two listings. That’s not a bad thing!

14. ⁠One of our students Random Nisia Lyakasia of South Dakota State University was featured this week for being selected to be in the Third Class of Future Innovators of America. Not a bad accomplishment!

15. ⁠Jayson Kopeap is a smart kid and his sacrifice is highly appreciated. His help to place students in USA universities is highly appreciated. Similarly, there are others who work tirelessly to place students in Chinese and Indian universities.

16. ⁠Mrs Joyce Tepu, FAS GESD, Mr Walipe Wingi, Deputy Secretary, Dr Uke Kombra, Secretary, as well as staff of GESD (Mr Benny Rayappan and Mr Kive Kererembo and Team GESD) worked tirelessly to ensure STEM Education was introduced and managed properly. They deserve all accolades and applauses. They deserve to be knighted by His Majesty.

17. ⁠Some students missed out last year due to them returning their application forms late for submission so the I-20 was NOT secured on time (I-20 is an important document issued by USA Homeland Security and is required by ALL students studying in USA and must be kept secured by the student during their entire student life in USA). I believe these students will be sent to USA in 2025.

*THE PROGRAM IS NOT IN CRISIS. IN FACT IT IS GAINING IN STRENGTH AND OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.* No other program run and or managed by PNG Government or foreign governments has this level of success.

If people want to hear more about PNG’s STEM Education, they must go and see the Secretary for the Department of Education, Dr Uke Kombra.