An academic at Papua New Guinea's National Research Institute says there is a need for changes to the education curriculum particularly at the elementary level, where many children fail to learn to read and write.
Dr Arnold Kukari was commenting after the acting Education Minister James Marape gave officials till early next year to develop a new framework for a curriculum that is relevant to Papua New Guineans.
Dr Kukari says the planned objectives based system would not produce different results from the current outcomes based curriculum.
But he says faults are apparent at the elementary level and changes, including improved teacher training, are needed.
"We need to have a look at the way teachers are educated and trained to teach at the foundational level, which is the elementary level, and provide full time training for elementary teachers with appropriate teaching pedagogy and content knowledge, particularly now that the system is moving towards introducing phonics at the elementary level."
