East Sepik Province Universal Basic Education in 2019
The East Sepik Province comprises six districts: Angoram, Wewak, Maprik, Ambunti/Drekikier, Wosera Gawi and Yangoru Saussia Districts, and 26 LLGs. The province’s population in 2011 was 450,530 with a growth rate of 2.5% from 2000. The province accounted for 6.2% of PNG’s total population.
Angoram District had 22% of the population followed by Wewak (19%), Maprik (16%0), Ambunti/Drekikier (16%), Wosera Gawi (14%) and Yangoru Saussia (14%). Of this population, there are about 128,059 school-age children (6-14 years old) in the province.
The province has 531 elementary and 255 primary schools. These schools are provided by the government as well as non-government organizations such as the churches which operate as Agency Schools. Many communities remain isolated from major government facilities such as schools. The challenge for the province and the districts is in reaching children in these remote communities and providing education opportunities for them.
Figure 1 Access Rate by districts
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Figure 2 Cohort Retention Rate by districts
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Figure 3 Examination Pass Rate by districts
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Explanatory notes
Figure 1 shows the access rates estimated at 28 percent of six-year-old children enrolled at the point of admission at elementary prep in East Sepik province. This is quite low. Only two out of every 10 children who are six years of age are enrolled in elementary prep in the province. At the district level, all districts recorded below 30 with the exception of Ambunti Drekikir with almost 40 percent. Note, that 72 percent of six-year-old children did not enrolled at the point of admission at elementary prep in East Sepik Province. Access to basic education remains a major challenge for the province. There is absence of road links in the districts. Angoram and Ambunti/Drekikir are accessible through the river way of the Sepik River and this can be problematic for communities along the river during the wet season. Many communities remain isolated from major government facilities such as schools. The challenge for the province and the districts is in reaching children in these remote communities and providing education opportunities for them.
Figure 2 shows the cohort retention rate of 73 percent of all children in East Sepik province, who started first grade and continued until they completed the final grade which is grade 8 and that is the target. About seven out of every 10 children continue schooling until they complete Grade 8. At the district level, Cohort retention rates are high for Wosera Gawi and Ambunti/Drekikir districts. Yangaru Sausia district has to put in more efforts to improve the cohort retention rates to enable more students to complete grade 8.
Figure 3 shows the examination marks for East Sepik province, and the result was estimated at 46 percent which is lower than the all-PNG average at 49 percent in all subjects. In the area of learning outcome, most of the districts perform below the all-PNG average. Improve learning outcomes are tough challenges that require consistent hard work and integrated focus on the province’s part. There is work required in improving quality of learning outcome.
Technical notes
Access to education refers to the number of 6-year-old children who are enrolled in elementary prep expressed as a percentage of population of 6-year old’s of school-age population which is 6 years to 14 years.
Cohort Retention Rate refers to the number of pupils who successfully completed an education cycle as a percentage of the same group of pupils who started the first grade (elementary prep) of the cycle earlier. A cohort retention rate of 100 percent, or all children who started first grade, completing final grade is the target.
Grade 8 Examination Pass Rate refers to examination mean as an estimate of the average achievement in the subject and is found by dividing the sum of marks scored by the number of students. Each examination is out of 50, hence the sum of the three subjects is 150. The average score of the three subjects is divided by 150 and multiply by 100 to get a percentage score. The target would be 100 percent
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