The Nation Department of Education (NDoE) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have partnered to develop and supply Grade 7- 10 mathematics and science textbook and teacher’s manual to support and improve secondary level of education throughout the country.
This was officiated during the signing of the Records of Discussions for the Project for Improving the quality of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education, at the Vulupindi Haus in Port Moresby on Tuesday 10th November.
The purpose of the 5 years project is to advance the quality of mathematics and science textbooks and teachers’ manuals for Grades 7-10. It also intends to strengthen the capacity of educators, textbook writers, curriculum specialist and intuitional arrangements for developing and revising the textbooks and teachers’ manuals which will be in alignment with the Standard Based Curriculum (SBC) and with due considerations for gender responsiveness and inclusion.
This will be carried out with grant assistance provided by the government of Japan.
Chief Representative for JICA PNG, Kenichi Shirouzu, said this signing marked an important milestone in the longstanding partnership between PNG and Japan in the education sector.
“JICA has been a proud and committed partner of PNG’s education sector for many years. Beyond developing high-quality textbooks and teachers' manuals, the project will strengthen the capacity of education personnel, support textbook writers and curriculum specialists, and test the materials through pilot activities before their wider use.”
“I would also like to highlight that the project incorporates gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to recognize the importance of ensuring that both girls and boys have equal opportunities to succeed in education.” Shirouzu said.
Secretary for Education, Dr Uke Kombra, said the project responds to a need that teachers and students have had for years.
“Since we began implementing the SBC in 2014, we have been working to ensure that every grade has the necessary syllabuses, teacher guides and learning resources to support effective teaching and learning.
With Japan's support, we have already developed mathematics and science textbooks for Grades 3 to 6, which have been printed and distributed to students across the country. This new project will extend that support to Grades 7 to 10.”
“Importantly, this will be a collaborative effort, with our own education officers and teachers working alongside Japanese experts to develop these national textbooks and teacher resources.
We are grateful to the Government and people of Japan for their continued support towards improving the quality of education in Papua New Guinea,” Dr Kombra said.
The project, which is due to begin in April 2027 and run for 60 months.