A senior Papua New Guinea education official says the country now has one million children attending school.
Dr Joseph Pagelio from the Department of Education made the announcement at the Popondetta Secondary School - which has just been upgraded through a US$1.75 million grant from the European Union.
Doctor Pagelio says over the last ten years there has been a marked expansion in upper secondary education.
He says this has increased the standard of school leavers available to work in business and industry.
Most new primary teachers and nurses have now completed a grade 12 education which, he says, will gradually have a major impact on standards in those professions.
