More than ten years after it started, big changes are being called for in Papua New Guinea's tuition fee-free education system.
Fee-free education was introduced by the Peter O'Neill government in 2011.
Photo: Supplied
The National Research Institute (NRI) in PNG has now conducted an assessment in East Sepik and Morobe Provinces and found that while fee-free education improved access for many, the quality of education was undermined.
The researchers found it led to a surge in pressure on teachers faced with a much bigger workload, classrooms overcrowded, and there was a fall in performance by the students.
The NRI researchers spoke with more than 300 teachers and the vast majority reported they struggled with the increased workload.
They also found that the students were handicapped by inadequate learning materials and textbooks, and suitable places to study.
NRI reported it was far worse in rural schools where textbooks are either outdated or not received on time and teachers had to create their own teaching and learning
resources from their own pockets.
Some teachers reported they travelled to neighbouring schools to get access to a photocopier.
The researchers also said there were very low levels of parental and community support for the schools and the students.
They said the tuition fee-free funds must be committed to supporting quality education improvement programmes.
The NRI said the teaching and learning atmosphere in classrooms must be attractive to keep school-age children in school for the full cycle from Elementary to Grade 12, so increased funding is paramount.
They want these funds to be disbursed in a timely fashion to the schools.
The also said the government needs to train more teachers and build more classrooms.