Transparency International in Papua New Guinea says it supports plans for values-based education but wonders if it can be achieved through compulsory religious instruction.
Last week, the Education Secretary announced that religious instruction would be made compulsory in all schools from 2010.
TI's Peter Aitsi says they back the introduction of values as a way of helping children better understand their roles as citizens.
But he says making it compulsory may upset some parents of children in public schools and it will be a major difficulty for schools already pushed to their limits.
"Pushed to its limits in terms of capacity both to accommodate the student numbers, to equipment them with the learning materials such as books and desks and all the other accessories that are required to create an environment conducive to learning. All of these are stretched to breaking point - some of them have already broken. So the Government is imposing another responsibility onto our schools, who I believe will find it difficult to cope with, given what they are currently going through."
Peter Aitsi
