Senior Education Officers from the Pacific Island Countries attend a Sub Regional; Education Policy and Planning at the Mendana Hotel, from 8-10 April
The first Sub Regional Education Policy and Planning (EdPP) Fono gathering is currently underway in Honiara at Solomon Kitano Mendana conference room.
Supported under the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) and convened by the University of the South Pacific (USP) Institute of Education, the Fono aims to build the capacity of education policy managers and planners.
Participating in the three-day Fono gathering are senior Education Officers from the Ministries of Education in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Among the participants are four education officers of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource (MEHRD) and three from Education Providers – all of whom are currently undertaking the Professional Certificate in Education Policy and Planning (PCEPP) Programme.
Speaking at the opening of the EdPP gathering, Permanent Secretary Dr Franco Rodie expressed his ministry’s support towards the Regional EdPP initiative, adding MEHRD is prepared to take the utmost advantage of the results of this EdPP Fono gathering.
Dr Rodie acknowledges the opportunity given to the seven Senior Education Officers who have taken the PCEPP – given the importance of Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership, and its impact on educational outcomes MEHRD plan to achieve under the current education reform program.
He highlighted that there are certain factors that influence the EdPP to rethink and plan better approaches to preparing educational policy, planning and leadership.
The factors include complexity of education reform, rapid population increase, unemployment, inequality between economic and education product demand in our country and ecological imbalance due to climate change.
He said these factors demand the Ministry and hence the senior education officials to plan and implement policies that are more responsive and adaptable to new realities and priorities that emerge.
He expects the education leaders who are continually supported through such capacity building to perform their duties to plan activities, projects and programs that would improve access to quality education for our children in the country.
He said the reconvening of the PCEPP targeting the senior education officers in his ministry and Ministries from the neighbouring Pacific Islands countries will add value to their work performance and improve community connectedness and learning outcomes for students.
-MEHRD Press
Dr Seu’ula Johansson–Fua – Director of IOE/USP, presenting strategies to achieve educational outcomes using evidence-based education policy and practice
Maraia Serutu of Fiji Ministry of Education Policy Planning and Research, left and Dr Seu’ula Johansson–Fua/ Director of IOE/USP
