The prime minister in highlighting the achievements of his government since taking office in 2019, says the government continues to focus on education with the aim to ensure young people have access to quality education and a brighter future.

Prime Minister James Marape said the Pangu-led Marape-Rosso Government has delivered the largest education assistance programme since Independence in 1975 and continues to fund free education from elementary to secondary school level, including the removal of project fees in many schools to reduce pressure on parents.

“Our government is paying free school fees from elementary all the way to secondary school because education is the biggest investment we can make into our future,” the Prime Minister said.

At the tertiary level, the government continues supporting students through the Higher Education Contribution Assistance Scheme (HECAS), the Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS), and the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP).

The HELP student loan programme, administered through the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, has already assisted more than 20,000 tertiary students across 55 higher education institutions since its introduction, with more than K200 million in student loans approved between 2020 and 2025.

The prime minister said the government has also expanded HELP to postgraduate, Masters, and PhD studies to help build Papua New Guinea’s future professional workforce.

“We are now supporting undergraduate, postgraduate, Masters, and PhD students because we want Papua New Guinea to develop its own highly skilled workforce,” he said.

This massive support in the education sector is a testament to the Pangu Pati’s values and focus, as the country prepares for the 2027 National General Election.