Primary and secondary schools in Papua New Guinea (PNG) resumed operations more than a month ago after the State of Emergency (SOE) Controller lifted the temporary closure. Resuming classes in the mid of a countrywide SOE is no easy feat.

The fears of COVID-19 infection, spread and casualty haunt students, staff (both academic and non-academic), parents and other stakeholder groups.

The pandemic has altered the normal school life. Many learning institutions operate in partial mode.

This has adverse spillover effects on most of the daily educational activities. Learning times are reduced and rescheduled. Lessons are delivered in condensed formats.

Lack of additional facilities, such as buildings, libraries and reliable broadband internet access, makes it difficult for teachers to make alternative arrangements to adequately accommodate the learning needs of all students.

The National Broadcasting Corporation, provincial radio stations and provincial education departments ensure that local radio stations are operational and learning programs are available for dissemination.