Education in Papua New Guinea

COVID-19 response

Allocation: US$9.44 million

Years: 2020-2022

Grant agent: UNICEF

Key documents:

The grant will support:

Distance learning for all students through TV, radio, and online platforms
Timely and accurate information on health and hygiene measures sent to teachers, students and parents through the dissemination of key messages on TV, radio, and via SMS
Learning materials distribution to the most vulnerable students, including those living in remote areas, those attending flexible open and distance education (second chance education centers), and children with disabilities
Teachers training on delivering remote lessons, conducting psychosocial well-being assessments with students, and distributing learning materials
A national back-to-school campaign to promote students’ return to school and back-to-learning incentive kits for students and teachers
Installation of handwashing stations and toilets and distribution of school hygiene kits
Booster classes to bring students up to date with the curriculum

These initiatives are based on the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 response plan.

In late March 2020, the UNICEF office in Papua New Guinea received a GPE grant of US$70,000 to support the Ministry of Education in planning its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In 2015, PNG operationalized a national education plan (NEP) for basic education. The plan which originally covered the years 2015-2019, was recently extended until 2020 and identifies six focus areas for interventions:

Access and equity
Teachers and teaching
Learning
Alternate pathways (including TVET)
Local management
System strengthening.

Gender equality is also a cross-cutting theme reflected across the entire plan and its implementation.

The plan provides strategic direction for an integrated approach to education and focuses on improving the quality of education for all. The NEP was endorsed by all partners including civil society organizations in 2017 following an independent appraisal.

In 2017, PNG revived the education sector improvement program (ESIP) committee as the local education group in the country.

The purpose of the ESIP committee is to facilitate effective and efficient education development in PNG through better information exchange and coordination between the National Department of Education and development partners working in the education sector.

Blogs and news

March 14, 2023

How GPE deploys innovative tools to crowd in more financing for education

Over the past decade, various initiatives to develop and implement innovative education financing mechanisms have emerged to address existing financing imbalances. The GPE Multiplier is one of them and has...

November 16, 2022

Digital technology supports learning in Papua New Guinea

Read how GPE is working with the government of Papua New Guinea and partners to counter education setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce the resilience of the education system through digital...

October 20, 2022

Papua New Guinea: New trainings lift standards in teaching math and science

Read how GPE is working with the government of Papua New Guinea and Save the Children to provide teachers with the trainings they need to improve students’ skills in math and science.

Latest grant

Development objective: Improved lower primary student learning outcomes in math and science in low performing provinces through strengthened pre-service and in-service teacher education, expanded access to teacher training for female teachers and improved access to textbooks.

Allocation: US$8,020,000

Years: 2022-2023

Grant agent: Save the Children Australia

Utilization: US$0

Program document

The Boosting Education Standards Together in PNG (BEST PNG) Program is financed by a US$7.4 million grant that includes US$3.2 million from the GPE Multiplier, which mobilizes US$10.6 million in additional co-financing from the government of Japan.

The program has the following components:

Primary in-service teacher training in maths and science
Update primary pre-service maths and science curriculum
Expand the number of female maths and science teachers
Improve equity, efficiency and learning outcomes
Improve access to maths and science textbooks:

Primary maths and science textbooks and teacher’s manuals for grades 3-6
Elementary maths textbooks and teacher’s manuals for the six most disadvantaged provinces in terms of remoteness and numeracy learning outcomes

Program management and monitoring.

Additional financing of US$0.45 million approved in 2021 supports implementation of program components 1, 3 and 6.

The program is fully aligned with the country’s educational priorities and strategies, and benefits from strong national and development partner ownership.

Grants

All amounts are in US dollars.

Grant type	Years	Allocations	Utilization	Grant agent
Program implementation and Multiplier	2022-2023	8,020,000	0	Save the Children Australia
Program implementation and Multiplier	2019-2022	3,000,000	2,977,310	Save the Children UK	Progress report
COVID-19	2020-2022	9,440,000	5,148,337	UNICEF
Program implementation	2011-2015	19,200,000	19,200,000	WB	Completion report
System capacity	2022-2025	700,000	0	UNICEF
Program development	2018	127,770	127,770	Save the Children UK
	Total	40,487,770	27,453,417

Data last updated: May 26, 2023

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the Papua New Guinea Education Advocacy Network (PEAN) for the 2019-2021 period.

This builds on 11 years of Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF) support to national education coalitions for their engagement in education sector policy dialogue.

GPE had provided the Papua New Guinea Education Advocacy Network (PEAN) with a grant from the CSEF to support its engagement in education sector policy dialogue and citizens’ voice in education quality, equity, and financing and sector reform.