Education in Papua New Guinea

Joined Commonwealth: 1975

Population: 6,732,000 (2009)

GDP p.c. growth: -0.4% p.a. 1990-2009

UN HDI 2010: world ranking 137

Adult literacy: 60.1% (2009)

There are eleven years of school education starting at age seven. The school year starts in January.

There are four public universities: University of Papua New Guinea (Lae); Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Lae); University of Goroka (Goroka), which trains teachers; and University of Natural Resources and Environment (Kerevat, East New Britain), which trains people for agriculture and natural resource management. Literacy among people aged 15-24 is 68% (2009).

Education policy emphasises coordinated planning and implementation; efficient teacher deployment; and community involvement, towards the longer-term goals of compulsory education to Grade 8 and universal education to Grade 10.