National Qualification Framework
Papua New Guinea has one National Qualifications Framework.
The National Executive Council under the leadership of Prime Minister Hon. Peter O'Neill, CMG, MP on October 12, 2017, directed the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) to implement the National Higher Education Strategic Plan to reform, transform and unify the Higher Education System, hence endorsed one PNG National Qualifications Framework. The Papua New Guinea National Qualifications Framework (PNGNQF) is developed in response to the emerging needs of learners of different age group. Papua New Guinea's education system has a
number of independent sub-systems that are mostly detached from one another, very fragmented and demonstrate little transparency or mobility between them. At present, there is no recognition of qualifications or awards between vocational training and university education or even between universities or between initial training and continuing training. In other words, switching from one training path or profile to another is currently impossible. For individual learners, the recognition of acquired skills is essential as well as the transfer of credit for these skills, regardless of the form of vocational training involved.
This National Qualifications Framework provides answers to hopes and aspirations of many people who wanted in the past to continue their studies, but the system of education did not have a structure in place to facilitate
such an academic progress. The PNGNQF assists each learner in achieving her or his life’s hopes. Hence, they do not have to repeat subjects matters needlessly, and there is higher efficiency in the way periods of training are treated.
It is the hope of the Government, my Ministry and the DHERST that the PNGNQF will help to eliminate the obstacles mentioned above. Only under these circumstances, it will be possible to ensure the acceptance and credibility of PNG’s qualifications to function as a kind of PNG academic currency on national and international labor markets.
We want to make qualifications offered in PNG transparent for users, learners and potential employers so that they know what they have to learn and the latter know what they can expect. Having such system in our country, we can increase the capacity to enable flexibility and transferability between different educational and occupational fields and between learning venues and, in doing so, eliminate barriers that currently block horizontal and vertical education paths. The PNGNQF will foster a rational design and development of qualifications thus it will make more manageable for the Government to administer skills development. This qualification framework will encourage educational mobility through the use of credit transfer systems hence it will enhance the marketability of education offerings at international level. It will also improve the representation of PNG’s qualification potential in global statistics.
This PNGNQF better articulates educational system in which industry-based, TVET, and university training are linked and unified with one National Qualifications Framework, providing accessible pathways opportunities to learners participating in lifelong learning. It will enhance the capacity of people, institutions, and the whole country to respond to the challenges of
the 21St century, and beyond.
We cannot do this all alone, therefore, let us remember that the Lord is the source of all wisdom thus let us work with Him.
Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology