Stronger foundations: MEHRD equips teachers to support children entering Year 1

HONIARA, 5 October 2026 — Helping every child begin school with confidence is the focus of a four-day teacher training workshop launched by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) in Honiara.

The School Readiness Assessment Tool (SROT) training runs from 5 to 8 October at the All Saints Mother’s Union Conference Room. Organised by MEHRD’s Teacher Professional Development Division, it is designed for 40 Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Primary Preparation Year (PPY) teachers from Guadalcanal Province and Honiara City.

Opening the workshop, Permanent Secretary Supervising, Mrs. Linda Wate, said school readiness goes beyond letters and numbers. It also includes how children communicate, interact with others, manage emotions, develop physically and approach learning.

“The School Readiness Assessment Tool helps teachers understand the development of each child and identify where additional support may be needed,” Mrs. Wate said.

Through practical sessions, teachers are learning to use the digital tool, register learners, observe children’s development and interpret assessment results. These findings will help them plan teaching and individual support, and work more closely with parents, caregivers and school leaders.

“The SROT results are not an end in themselves. They are a starting point for conversation,” she said.

Mrs. Wate encouraged teachers to bring together their classroom observations and families’ knowledge of their children, and to share learning through Professional Learning Communities.

The training supports MEHRD’s broader work to strengthen early learning, including PPY Guide 3 and the ECE curriculum review and development, with an intended curriculum rollout in 2027.

By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to use SROT confidently and identify practical steps for applying it in their centres and classrooms—helping children make a supported transition from ECE through PPY into Year 1.

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ECE and PPY teachers practise using the SROT app on tablets.

Teacher Professional Development officers help participants access and use the SROT app.

Two ECE supervisors explore the SROT app during a practical session.