Page 20 - IB February 2025

Pacific Education Ministers continue to work together for the betterment of Pacific People

Background Teacher Quality Islands on their efforts to promote a multi-stakeholder approach to
inclusive education:
To support the Forum Leaders’ Pacifi c vision, the ”Pacifi c Regional Pacifi c Education Ministers are committed to increasing support to
Education Framework, Moving Towards Education 2030” (PacREF) programs that ensure quality of teachers in the region and providing The Solomon Islands have made signifi cant strides in implementing
prioritises action on quality and relevance, free learning pathways, the opportunity for sharing best practices through exchange program. inclusive education (IE) through collaborative efforts with UNICEF,
and the teaching profession that will maximise sustainable gains in Two frameworks that have been developed under the PacREF Phase government agencies, provincial offi ces, school leaders, teachers,
student learning outcomes and well-being. Oversight to the Programme 1 implementation are the Pacifi c Regional Standards (Contextualisation students, and parents. The development of the Inclusive Education Policy
is provided by the Conference of Pacifi c Education Ministers (CPEM) and proper monitoring) country-led initiatives for teaching effectiveness to has been a cornerstone of this progress, resulting in the establishment
comprising ministers of education from the 18-member countries of the ensure a supported, engaged and effective teaching workforce, committed of an inclusive education offi cer, the creation of a policy manual, and
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Pacifi c Islands Forum. to the holistic development of students, and the Pacifi c Regional School notable shifts in behavior and attitudes .
Leadership Standards to guide improvement for school leaders, so that
CPEM 2023 Group Photo: Education Ministers and representatives who attended The 2 Conference of Pacifi c Education Ministers (CPEM) will be hosted
nd
countries can promote effective leadership among Pacifi c school leaders.
the inaugural 2023 Pacifi c Education Ministers Conference in Aotearoa, New on 18–20 March, 2025, by the Government and people of Papua New
Zealand. Guinea. This follows the successful inaugural CPEM in 2023 which was Stories collected from countries have shown positive impacts of Technical Vocational Education Training including
hosted at the Aotea Centre, Auckland, by the Government and people of participating in the training programmes and using the Frameworks. The Sports Development
Aotearoa New Zealand. The theme of the 2025 CPEM as developed by story below is such an example: Ministers have noted the importance of developing skills and student
Papua New Guinea is “Transforming Edukesen for a better Pacifi c”. The pathways to create opportunities that meet learner aspirations and
theme aligns well with the current global efforts to transforming education School Leadership and the Graduate Certifi cate of School Leadership
(GCSL) offered by the University of the South Pacifi c (USP) Institute abilities. Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) provides
to better meet the demands and aspirations of the young generations
of the Pacifi c as they charter their future through a challenging and of Education (IoE). A total of 67 Marshallese educators have completed an alternative learning pathway within an education system as not all
students are academically oriented. In addition, Ministers have noted
changing environment in which they live. the GCSL across four cohorts, with approximately 10% of graduates
advancing into leadership roles since graduation. The program has sports development has become a career path for Pacifi c students. The
trained 90% of principals and headteachers across the atolls. The GCSL following story from Tokelau shows the opportunities offered through
has resulted in signifi cant gains in knowledge, raising awareness about TVET programmes to student learning:
Key Commitments at the 2023 CPEM the importance of effective school management, fostering collaboration
The Tokelau Ministry of Education has partnered with the New Zealand
Education Policy and Planning Fono, Honiara, Solomon Islands - April 2024. Photos Ministers, at the 2023 CPEM, inter alia, prioritised the following to be among schools to address shortcomings, and engaging communities Institute of Technology to strengthen Vocational Education and Training
courtesy of the USP Institute of Education. implemented under the PacREF programme: to enhance learning outcomes. Additionally, the program has improved (TVET) pathways, resulting in a rise in enrolment—58 students this year,
leadership understanding among new and emerging school leaders,
(i) Indigenous Knowledge, Culture and Language: Indigenous resulting in better comprehension of Public-School Systems (PSS) compared to 24 last year. Of the nine students who completed Level 3,
four have pursued apprenticeships in New Zealand, three have secured
knowledge, culture and language should be embedded in policies, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) local jobs, and one has relocated abroad .
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curriculum development, teacher training programs, and delivery. accreditation requirements, and school management skills .
1
(ii) Teacher Quality: Increasing support to programs that ensure
quality of teachers in the region and providing the opportunity for Moving Towards Phase 2 of the PacREF programme
sharing best practices through exchange program. Early Childhood Education
PacREF has provided an opportunity for countries to work together
(iii) Early Childhood Education: The centrality of early childhood Pacifi c education ministers agreed on the centrality of early childhood and share experiences in various areas of learning and teaching. The
learning and development to student overall development. learning and development to student overall development. The story networking developed through Phase 1 implementation provides a
below is from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM):
(iv) Data Integrity and Sovereignty: Ministers endorsed the need and strong platform for shared learning or the Wansolwara learning platform.
accessibility for quality data to support regional and national FSM emphasizes the need to contextualize policies to ensure they are fi t In December 2024, Fiji hosted six countries to an EMIS Study tour
Graduates of the International Skills Training (IST) Advanced Trainer and Assessor initiatives. They also expressed the need to promote cyber safety for purpose. There is a collective commitment to making ECE compulsory facilitated by UNESCO and the PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU). The
Course from the APTC proudly received their certifi cates in Santo, Vanuatu. and ensure cyber security measures are in place. for 5-year-olds, though ECE is not yet mandatory, and a formal curriculum Policy and Planning Fono hosted by Solomon Islands also provided an
for teaching and learning has yet to be fi nalized. FSM has adopted a opportunity for countries to come together and share their experiences
(v) Student Inclusiveness: Ministers committed to ensuring that multi-sectoral approach to support ECE development, making resources on education planning and policy development supported by USP-IOE,
education is available to all learners irrespective of their challenges. and support more accessible. The development of the ECE policy has UNESCO, UNICEF and PFU.
infl uenced change in FSM, prompting a restructuring of existing programs
(vi) Technical Vocational Education Training including Sports 2 As the PacREF programme moves through a seamless transition from
Development: Ministers agreed to the importance of developing to align with the current ECE framework . Phase 1 into Phase 2 this year, new emerging priorities are being
skills and student pathways to create opportunities that meet defi ned by the governing bodies of the Programme. The Pacifi c Heads
learner aspirations and abilities. of Education Systems (PHES) at their meeting in March 2024, identifi ed
Data Integrity and Sovereignty Climate Change as an important priority for inclusion in Phase 2 of the
Programme.
Ministers endorsed the need and accessibility for quality data to support
Indigenous knowledge, Culture and Language regional and national initiatives. They also expressed the need to promote As Pacifi c Education Ministers meet in March 2025, they will consider the
cyber safety and ensure cyber security measures are in place. This is progress of PacREF implementation and set new directions for the
A key priority for Ministers of Education in the Pacifi c is the preservation a critical area of priority among most of the regional countries. That is,
Ms. Regina Mabia, Lead of the CPEM PNG Secretariat, along with colleagues and maintenance of indigenous knowledge, culture and vernacular the availability and use of data for policy, planning and evidence-based Programme. The target now is to set a work plan for regional education
from PacREF and members of the PHES Steering Committee, participated in the languages. Maintaining our Pacifi c identity through education, is of that will support countries in the region to achieve the SDG4 goals, as
presentation of UNESCO’s PETALS Framework at the PHES SCM in July 2024, paramount importance as a means of our survival as we live in a fast- decision making. The development of functional education management well as their national education targets by 2030.
held in Nadi, Fiji. information systems (EMIS) together with personnel profi cient in data
changing world infl uenced by the use of technology, particularly among analysis for policy and planning continue to be a top priority for us in
the young generations of today. the Pacifi c. 1 Report from the Republic of the Marshall Islands as collected under the publication Advancing
Education in the Pacifi c. (SPC-EQAP, 2025. Report to CPEM 2025).
Under the PacREF programme, the importance of non-cognitive skills
being integrated into the school curriculum is a priority under Policy Area 2 Report from the Federated States of Micronesia as collected under the publication Advancing
1, Quality and Relevance. It has been recognised globally as vital for the Student Inclusiveness Education in the Pacifi c. (SPC-EQAP, 2025. Report to CPEM 2025).
holistic development of children. Schools are looking beyond cognitive 3 Report from Solomon Islands as collected under the publication Advancing Education in the
skills testing and are incorporating character and citizenship education, Ministers are committed to ensuring that education is available to all Pacifi c. (SPC-EQAP, 2025. Report to CPEM 2025).
with a holistic focus on children’s well-being and development. In the learners irrespective of their challenges. This is especially so for students 4 Report from Tokelau as collected under the publication Advancing Education in the Pacifi c.
Pacifi c context, this includes the inclusion of culture and traditional with disabilities and those with special learning needs. UN agencies (SPC-EQAP, 2025. Report to CPEM 2025).
knowledge and the importance of community as the foundation of Pacifi c such as UNICEF and UNESCO are leading efforts to ensure education
societies. Pacifi c children’s grounding in their culture, tradition, and is accessible to all children but particularly to those marginalized groups
value systems is an underlying foundation of the PacREF. and children living with disabilities. Below is a report from Solomon
PacREF PHES Group Photo: PFU Coordinator alongside members of the Pacifi c
Heads of Education Systems at the PacREF PHES Meeting in Nadi, Fiji - March
2024.
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20 Islands Business, February 2025