Concepts like gender equality are promoted but clash with our customs, traditions and biblical belief systems.

Couples perceive that things work very differently. They no longer respect each other. They no longer listen to each other with a humble and submissive heart. Their mindsets are working independently and so their visions, goals and aspirations collide.

Consequently couples are separating through formal divorce or on their own. When this happens, kids are separated; some stay with their mother, others with their father, and others stay with their grandparents.

Business assets, money and property are divided. People with marriage problem are losing jobs and they are struggling financially. Couples are also dying; they are becoming violent and killing each other.

The accumulation of these problems is detracting from development in Papua New Guinea. Instead of building good labour wards and women’s clinics for our mothers, sisters and wives, money is spent on addressing sexual transmitted disease especially HIV/AIDS.

Instead of spending money on new infrastructure, it is spent to renovate and rebuild infrastructure destroyed by youths and children who come from unstable and broken marriages.

And instead of policing and strengthening the law enforcement agencies, money is spent on containing law and order issues created by people with no stable family background.

In this secular world, people are more mindful of social, political and economic issues than spiritual welfare. They don’t find time to pray, read the bible and medidate upon the word of God.

Instead their time is spent at nightclubs, pokie places, markets and entertainment venues. And immorality and disobedience of the word of God is apparent. This has made people lack wisdom and understanding, which creates more problems.

To avoid marriage problems, wise men and women - people who have lived a faithful married life, pastors and marriage experts - have to express their opinions about how to go about managing the day to day affairs of a family.

Educated couples must lead the way. Having an educated couple in a family is a privilege. It is an opportunity not many people have.

These educated families can access and mobilise resources abundantly and build the wealth of the family. They can produce educated and resourceful children. And they can influence others to be positive, get educated and live a good life.

Educated families have the opportunity to contribute immensely to the development of this nation.

Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon and the wealthiest man in the world, has said, “If you want to be a successful person in the future, marry someone resourceful”.

One day we want all the families in Papua New Guinea to be made up of educated couples. The parents will be educated and their children will be educated.

We need educated and law abiding people in our families and communities. We need educated and decisive people in the work place. We need educated people to represent us nationally and globally.

Educated people are innovative, decisive and responsible for the development and growth of a nation. They work with a positive mindset. They say no to corruption. They say no to any form of violence. They work hard for the betterment of everyone.