Elementary Education

Elementary schools are planned and established by the districts, with the support of technical officers from the Provincial Division of Education. Elementary schools are organized around the primary schools that will accept their children into Grade 3. These are known as clusters of schools. Poor planning has caused the rapid uncontrolled expansion in the number of elementary schools in some districts. This has resulted in problems with the registration of schools and teachers causing a number of elementary teachers to be unpaid for long periods of time.

Teacher Training

A mixed mode teacher-training program has been implemented province wide. There are total of ten (10) Elementary Trainers, which consists of two Provincial Based Coordinators and eight District Based Trainers implementing the program.

Curriculum

Most Trainings / Cluster Workshops are conducted for the teachers on Outcome Based education in order for them to successfully teach using the New Reform Curriculum.Since Enga is spoken widely and the most dominant language at an early age and that language it is used only at the Elementary Prep level and commence bridging with English at Elementary 2 level.

Primary Education

Management

Since 1998, development at the primary level involved the relocation of Grade 1 and 2 classes from community schools to elementary schools, and the establishment of Grade 7 and 8 classes in primary schools. Grade 1 and 2 enrolments in the community schools did not decline as rapidly as expected following the introduction of elementary schools in 1998. This has led, in part, to shortages of teachers in some parts of the province.