In 2015, Papua New Guinea operationalized a national education plan (NEP) for basic education. The plan which originally covered the years 2015-2019, was recently extended until 2020 and identifies six focus areas for interventions:
- Access and equity
- Teachers and teaching
- Learning
- Alternate pathways (including TVET)
- Local management
- System strengthening.
Gender equality is also a cross-cutting theme reflected across the entire plan and its implementation.
The plan provides strategic direction for an integrated approach to education in Papua New Guinea and focuses on improving the quality of education for all. The NEP was endorsed by all partners including civil society organizations in 2017 following an independent appraisal.
In 2017, PNG revived the education sector improvement program (ESIP) committee as the local education group in the country.
The purpose of the ESIP committee is to facilitate effective and efficient education development in PNG through better information exchange and coordination between the National Department of Education and development partners working in the education sector.