Papua New Guinea and Partners Announce over $12 Million Partnership to Drive Education Reforms and Boost Learning Outcomes

PORT MORESBY, 25 February 2026 – The Government of Papua New Guinea, together with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNICEF, today launched the “TOGETHER” Programme, funded through the GPE’s System Transformation Grant (STG) and System Capacity Grant (SCG), to strengthen the country’s education system and improve learning outcomes for children across all provinces.

The combined total of the US$12.18 million grant supports the implementation of Papua New Guinea’s 1-6-6 school restructuring reform and the rollout of the Standards-Based Curriculum under the National Education Plan 2020–2029. The National Department of Education (NDoE) leads programme implementation, and UNICEF serves as the Grant Agent, with JICA as the Coordinating Agency.

The grant focuses on strengthening the teaching workforce, improving curriculum implementation to raise learning outcomes, and reinforcing gender-responsive planning and data use across the sector, while the school structure shifts to 1-6-6 from 3-6-4. These investments aim to ensure that children not only attend school but also learn, develop foundational skills, and complete their education in safe and supportive environments.

“We are taking decisive action to strengthen our education system,” said Dr Uke Kombra, Secretary for Education. “This grant supports our national priorities and strengthens our ability to implement the 1-6-6 reform effectively. We are investing in teachers, improving curriculum delivery and strengthening planning systems so that every child in Papua New Guinea has the opportunity to learn and succeed.”

Papua New Guinea has more than 2.8 million children, adolescents and youths in the education system - from preparatory, primary, secondary and through other learning pathways like TVET and FODE. However, the country needs to prioritise sustained system strengthening, which remains essential to improve foundational learning, retention, completion and learning outcomes, particularly for children in remote and underserved communities.

“Papua New Guinea is taking bold steps to strengthen its education system, and GPE is proud to support this reform. This grant reinforces efforts at every level of the system to deliver real improvements in learning - helping children thrive and contribute to their communities,” said Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education.

“JICA is proud to serve as the Coordinating Agency in supporting the Government of Papua New Guinea and partners to advance the shared priorities outlined in the Partnership Compact. Strengthening coordination and collaboration is essential to achieving sustainable system transformation and improving learning outcomes for all children,” said Matsuoka Hideaki, Chief Representative of JICA Papua New Guinea Office.

The grant builds on PNG’s education partnership compact, a strategic, country-owned document that defines the country's priority education reform. With support from the GPE, the government and 17 education partners signed a partnership compact in early 2025 to align their efforts toward the “Complete Rollout of the 1-6-6 School Restructuring Reform” as Papua New Guinea’s priority education reform.

As the Grant Agent, UNICEF will support the Government in programme oversight, coordination and fiduciary management, ensuring that investments translate into measurable improvements in classrooms.

“Quality education begins with strong systems”, said Vikas Singh, Acting Representative for UNICEF Papua New Guinea. “When we strengthen teacher capacity, improve learning materials, and use data to guide decisions, we create the conditions for children to thrive. This grant is about building an education system that sustains progress, protects investments, and brings partners together across sectors to deliver lasting results for every child.”

The launch reinforces a shared commitment to inclusive, equitable, and quality education. Strengthening education systems today will sustain progress tomorrow and ensure that national and partner investments lead to durable change for children and communities across Papua New Guinea.