Papua New Guinea's government says its proposed legislative changes to the Higher Education Act would finally give it power to act on University issues.
Under the current Act, the government has been unable to intervene in the kind of unrest seen recently at the University of Technology in Lae.
Currently University decisions rest exclusively with the University Councils
The Minister for Higher Education Sam Basua says he has made a submission for amendments to the Higher Education Act which will give him more powers to act in times of crisis at a university.
"Also you see that crises at public universities - there's five of them - happen regularly and then I think the minister is left speechless for a while until the government is advised. So in this situation, we could amend the Act and give the minister more power: in situations where he thinks he can solve the problem he can intervene."
PNG's Minister for Higher Education Sam Basua.
