The Sub-Regional Workshop on using Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 templates in collecting international education data and statistics was hosted in Nadi, Fiji by the Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) Regional Office for Asia-Pacific in June.
Over three days, participants engaged in intensive training sessions focussed on the SDG 4 templates. These templates are crucial for collecting comprehensive international education data and assist Pacific Island countries (PICs) in facilitating consistent and coherent data collection. Overall, this process supports national monitoring, informs policymaking decisions, and ensures international comparability.
Palau Ministry of Education Officer, Nahdia Bonicacio, highlighted the benefits, stating, "My key takeaway from this workshop is the standardisation of data collection, data quality assurance, timeliness, and efficiency. My implementation plan is to standardise the method, provide more training, adopt technology, ensure data quality, and improve efficiency. By implementing these strategies, Palau aims to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of its national education data system."
The workshop addressed significant challenges national education data managers face, including unavailable data sources, non-comparable education system structures, non-existing disaggregation for required characteristics in the templates, and politically determined approval procedures.
The training provided practical solutions and guidance to help participants improve the quality and comparability of their education data.
Jessica Pavihi, representing the Niue Education Ministry, shared her experience, "The training provided for us gives me a better understanding, especially with the indicators, to help us understand what we're looking for and what's being asked of us. This will help when I go back home to collect our data and not rely on other sources for data input. It has given me ideas on ways to get to our sources and how to get the data from them."
One of the workshop's primary objectives was to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to accurately populate the SDG 4 Templates and complete the UIS Annual Survey on Education. By the end of the workshop, participants reported a greater understanding of how to identify relevant data sources and navigate the complexities of data collection and submission processes.
Mike Haukaria, Manager Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Education in Solomon Islands emphasised the practical benefits of the workshop. "One of the takeaways is the calculation of completion rates, which was new for me. After the training, I now know how to calculate how students complete the level of education. This will be a big takeaway for me and will help improve my analysis and reporting for the ministry."
The UIS Regional Office for Asia-Pacific and SPC’s Education Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) team emphasised the need for accurate data collection and reporting to support national planning and the successful implementation of SDG 4.
Sina Tane, SPC’s Education Statistician, explained, "The next steps involve ongoing support and follow-up with participants to ensure they can implement the knowledge and skills acquired during the workshop. This includes providing technical assistance through remote consultations, facilitating peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing, and organising follow-up workshops or refresher training sessions. Strengthening the capacity of local teams and fostering a network of support will be crucial for the sustained success of these efforts."
The workshop brought together national education data focal points from eight Pacific nations: Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati, Palau, Tokelau, Niue, the Solomon Islands, and Cook Islands. This convening provided opportunities for the representatives to absorb actionable strategies that could be useful Iwhile demonstrating a renewed commitment to their national education data systems.
SPC’s EQAP and the UIS Regional Office for Asia-Pacific remain dedicated to supporting these efforts, ensuring that all Member States can contribute effectively to the global education agenda.
Watch Nahdia, Jessica and Mike:
