The Marape-Rosso government remains steadfast in its commitment to build an education system that meets the needs of every child, leave no child behind, strengthens communities, and supports the nation’s long-term development goals. This is according to Minister for Education Lucas Dekena, who on behalf of the Ministry of Education expressed his gratitude to the government for its undivided support for a World Bank Loan. He also extends appreciation to the World Bank for its recent approval and release of US$100 million (K406 million) in funding to support the Learning Enhancement and Access Project (LEAP) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Learning Enhancement and Access Project (LEAP) is a transformative initiative that aims to improve learning outcomes for children across the country, targeting the foundational years, that is, Early Childhood Education (ECE) preparatory, grade one and two. This critical investment will directly support an estimated 3, 500 schools, benefiting approximately 375, 000 preparatory to grade two students and 9, 000 teachers, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in an environment that nurtures their potential. LEAP will now focus on four key pillars including: - Preparing children to be ready to learn: The project will support pilot Early Childhood Education (ECE) initiatives, laying a strong foundation for future learning and aligning with the government’s commitment to expand and formalize ECE in the national education system. - Supporting teachers to teach effectively: LEAP will provide high-quality teaching and learning materials, extensive professional development, and teacher qualification upgrading to equip teachers with the skills and resources they need to succeed. - Modernizing infrastructure and management: Recognizing the importance of safe, well-equipped learning environments, the project will invest in refurbishing school infrastructure, improving data management systems, and enhancing overall governance in the education sector. - Strengthening project management and capacity-building: LEAP will support the Department of Education in building strong systems and human resource capacity to ensure effective delivery, monitoring, and sustainability of project activities. Minister Dekena said this funding shows the World Bank’s trust in our plans for education. “LEAP will help our teachers and children and bring hope to communities across the country and once again, I thank the World Bank for standing with us to improve the future of our children.” “We look forward to signing the agreements and formally launching the project in the coming weeks.” Moreover, the project represents the first phase of a 12-year Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA), designed to be a scalable and sustainable pathway to achieve significant education reforms and ultimately improve learning outcomes across the country. LEAP is aligned with the Government’s National Education Plan 2020-2029, the Medium-Term Development Plan IV 2023-27, and the country’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all). Furthermore, the Ministry of Education also acknowledges the ongoing efforts to secure additional funding through the $50 million OPEC Fund and the approximately $10 million grant from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which will bring the total project funding to approximately $160 million (K429,145,600) once finalized.