Five days focussing on Education

A week-long focus on the educational challenges and advancements of the Pacific.

As a region, the Pacific has been making strides in strengthening the quality of education with the vision to empower the Pacific people to live free, healthy and productive lives.

Over time, the Pacific governments have recognised that investing in regional solutions significantly enhances efforts to improve the quality of education for children. It also allows more efficient use of scarce resources and encourages regional and national institutions to collaborate and coordinate more closely, in line with the strategy set out by the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2018 to 2030.

This framework adopts a human rights approach that seeks to empower all Pacific islanders to fully enjoy the benefits of education and lifelong learning. PacREF is an integrated set of tools and mechanisms to help Pacific Island countries and territories realise their educational goals that are prioritised under key policy areas of the framework.

The Pacific Community’s (SPC) Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) leads the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning component of the framework and supports PacREF in developing inclusive, responsive curricula and programmes that reflect Pacific values and cultures, feature both cognitive and noncognitive development, and promotes a people-centred approach.

To discuss the region’s urgent issues in achieving their education priorities, the PacREF Facilitation Unit (PFU) and the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) are jointly hosting the first Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) in Auckland from 20 to 22 March 2023. This ministerial meeting was formerly hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and was known as the Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM).

During CPEM, EQAP will be sharing the 2022 Status of Pacific Education Report as well as reporting on the implementation of the PacREF and the impacts of the work thus far. As part of that report, EQAP will be discussing the results of two research projects that include information on factors affecting cohort survival rates, dropout rates and re-entry rates in selected PICs and results received through the analysis of early childhood education in the Pacific.

Following the conclusion of the CPEM meeting, EQAP will be hosting the 8th meeting of the Pacific Board for Education Quality (PBEQ) from 23 to 24 March 2023.

The PBEQ, a subcommittee of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA), governs EQAP’s work plans and programmes through annual convenings.

At this year’s PBEQ meeting, the EQAP team will present the reports pertaining to the activities carried in 2022, including the annual EQAP Results Report. Other sessions will focus on the upcoming work plans for 2023, the new lower secondary assessment development progress, EQAP’s new business plan and organisational design and the new Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus) project.

Ahead of the formal meeting, country representatives will have the opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion regarding the ongoing work with respective sections within the EQAP team. Some topics from the CPEM meeting will also be discussed during the PBEQ meeting.

The PBEQ convening provides an opportunity for the EQAP team to engage in dialogues with its members and to understand their education priorities and needs. The inputs received from the members generate the future work plans of the EQAP team. 

This education week will focus on strengthening the region’s education systems and supporting the well-being of the Pacific People.  

For more details on the CPEM meeting, click the link below: https://pacref.org/event/conference-of-pacific-education-ministers-cpem/

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Educational Quality and Assessment

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Educational Quality and Assessment
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Educational Quality and Assessment
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
PacREF
Education
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
Pacific Board for Educational Quality (PBEQ)
Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA)
Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus)
Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
PacREF
Education
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
Pacific Board for Educational Quality (PBEQ)
Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA)
Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus)
Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM)
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