Education Key to Development in PNG

Although PNG has progressed relatively well in the last 40 years, still much needs to be done to encourage development and this can be done through improving the education sector.

This was the message brought across by Ms. Cecelia Nembou, the Associate Professor of Management and Vice President of Divine Word University during the World Bank Group Praxis Discussion Series in Sydney, Australia today.

Ms. Nembou says the higher education level has not been given much attention to in the last 40 years and said the way forward is to have the government manage well and divert enough funds from the revenues generated from resources to this sector.

It is only through this that PNG will advance when Papua New Guineans are well educated.

Meantime, despite not achieving fully some of the important aspects of development and growth in the last 40 years, PNG’s future looks positive.

One of the panelists, World Bank Country Director for Timor- Leste, PNG and the Pacific Region, Mr. Franz Drees- Gross, told the media that, “the future looks good because the country has many resources now available, such as oil and gas that will produce enough revenue for development and other activities.”

In addition, he says PNG will in the future be a big player in the pacific region and will be of great assistance to the development of smaller island nations in the region.

The panel discussions were broadcast live to PNG via a video up link.