New TVET institute targets PNG’s education dropout crisis

Amid concerns over tens of thousands of students dropping out of Papua New Guinea’s education system each year, the Avani Adventist Technical Vocational Institute was officially opened on Thursday in Eastern Highlands Province to provide alternative pathways for young people left behind.

The institute aims to address the growing gap in access to tertiary education by equipping students with practical, job-ready skills, particularly those unable to progress beyond secondary school.

Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Member for Unggai-Bena, Kinoka Feo, said the country’s education system continues to lose a significant number of students before they reach Grade 12.

“Each year, about 130,000 students enroll in Grade One, but only around 35,000 make it to Grade Twelve,” Feo said.

He revealed that nearly 98,000 students drop out of the system annually, many with limited opportunities for further education or employment.

Feo also spoke of reforms to the national selection process for tertiary institutions, praising the new online system has drastically reduced processing times.

“Yesterday, when I pressed the button for the national selection, it took only five seconds. Previously, the process took six to eight weeks,” he said.

Despite the improvement, Feo acknowledged that limited capacity remains a major challenge, with only 24,000 students selected this year due to space constraints and minimum entry requirements.

He said institutions like the Avani Adventist Technical Vocational Institute are critical in absorbing students who miss out on university and college placements, providing them with skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Member for Unggai-Bena District, representatives of the Prime Minister, officials from the Papua New Guinea Union Conference (PAU), and members of the local community.