REFORMS of our education system must be built upon best practice which includes the current education legislative framework.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his St Joseph’s National Catholic School, 75th Anniversary Speech said we must be cognizant of the rapid social changes that our country is facing, especially with the onset and rise of social media platforms.
He said the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development’s 2016 – 2030 Education Strategic Framework (ESF) recognizes that education has a key role to play in the overall achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and connects education with other SDGs and targets and has set goals, objectives and outcomes that we thrive to achieve.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the newly developed National Education Action Plan (NEAP) for the 2021-2025 period translates the objectives of the ESF into a plan for implementation across the entire education sector.
He said it covers Early Childhood Education, Primary Preparation Year, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Skills Development and Tertiary Education, focusing on three strategic goals: (i) improving access, (ii) improving quality and learning outcomes, and (iii) improving management of education services.
“One of the key reforms that my Government through the Ministry of Education is undertaking under the new NEAP is to improve access especially at senior secondary education level – that is, at form 4, 5 and 6 levels,” he said.
The Prime Minister said we are striving to increase enrolments of our students at the senior secondary education levels, as there is an increasing demand for senior secondary education in the country than ever before.
Prime Minister Sogavare said MEHRD also has plans to increase the participation of both boys and girls at senior secondary level, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and in vocations where educational achievements do not necessarily translate to labour force participation.
He said one of the priorities of the NEAP 2021-2025 is to increase number of learners complete 13 years of education (from primary to senior secondary level).
The expected results include;
Alternate pathway strategy (non-academic) for junior and senior secondary developed
Increased number of schools offering alternate (non-academic) pathway and vocational subjects
More learners continuing to and completing senior secondary education
More school facilities available for learners (classrooms, dormitory and ablution)
“The MEHRD has the ambition to substantially expand secondary education, skills development, and tertiary education to foster life-long learners who are able to adapt to the rapidly changing national and global environment,” he said.
