Prime Minister James Marape has approved the building of a monument of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare at the University of Papua New Guinea.

During the ground-breaking ceremony on Friday, Marape said the monument would symbolise what the nation’s founding fathers stood for, and the legacy of Sir Michael who was driving the move for independence.

“It is proper to build the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s monument here at the very highest learning institution of the country,” he said.

“He was a simple teacher, but he rose up in the ranks to become the first Prime Minister.

“I believe this will inspire the next generations of leaders.”

The project will be overseen by the government and Moresby North-West MP Lohia Boe Samuel.

Marape said Sir Michael “stood for so many things in his fight for independence”.

‘Freedom and liberty’
“But one I believe was closest to his heart was to see the next generations of Papua New Guineans have the freedom and liberty to decide the fate of their country,” he said.

“This is the dream we carry today and are heading towards.”

The momument was suggested by the University Students’ Representative Council which started fundraising last year.

“The late Sir Michael was at the prime age of 30 to 37 when he led the call for independence,” former council president Matthew Tinol said.

“That is what we must draw [from] — to be selfless, to be builders of our country, to be visionary and leaders that late Sir Michael needed us to become.”

UPNG vice–chancellor Professor Frank Griffin thanked the government for supporting the students’ council funding of the project with its fundraising last year.

The monument is expected to be completed by September 16 — PNG’s Independence Day — next year.

Nathan Woti is a reporter for The National. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Higher Education Minister Don Polye has condemned a decision by the administration of the University of Papua New Guinea to treat a PNG-born and bred grade 12 school leaver as an “international” student.

Roselyn Alog, 19, whose parents are Filipinos, was born and raised in PNG.

On Monday, she was turned away from registering at the university by the School of Natural and Physical Sciences on the grounds that she is a Filipino by nationality.

She was asked to pay K19,638 (almost NZ$9000) and not K3115 (NZ$1400) as per the acceptance letter from UPNG.

Alog completed her grade 12 last year at the Paradise Private School and was selected through the National Online System to study under the SNPS programme.

“I have considered that those students who have come through PNG’s education system, regardless of nationality over the years, have a right to be given the same treatment as everyone else for enrolment,” Polye said.

“PNG is a member of the global community and our universities are institutions of learning for all international students who live within or live outside our shores.

Diverse students
“We are happy to see students of diverse nationalities and cultures live and study together as it’s part of learning.

“If a student had been paying school fees through the echelon of our formal education structure at the established school fees structure, then the same student is entitled to pay the same fee asked of through the formal process.

“A student should not be discriminated against. No foreign student will be made to pay more if such a student had been coming up [through] the formal PNG education system.

“Any errors made must be corrected immediately.”

Francis Hualupmomi, Secretary for the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (HERST) which manages the TESAS (scholarship scheme), said no university had the right to take away the TESAS privilege awarded to a student.

A call from the scholarship division of the Department of HERST to the Post-Courier asked Roselyn Alog to visit their office to establish her citizenship status.

Phoebe Gwangilo is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz