BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
SCHOOLS across Solomon Islands is yet to see much progress in accessibility and quality of education.
Many schools still experience inefficient learning opportunity due to classroom space, lack of teachers and facilities.
Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development Dr Franco Rodie said this during the opening of the two-day MEHRD Joint Annual 2018 meeting at Mendana.
Rodie said, despite MEHRD achieving its priority areas for education service deliveries in Solomon Islands, there is still a need for improvement.
He said, “Despite all we have been doing, we are yet to see much progress in access and quality of education.”
He said from 2011 to 2018, data shows number of students that attended ECE, primary and secondary enrolled in schools has increased from 189,000 to around 216,000.
However, Dr Rodie said during such period there was virtually no change in its net enrollment rates.
From the MEHRD’s data, Rodie said the percentage of population enrollment in each sector remains around 90 percent for primary, 40 percent junior secondary and 30 percent senior secondary.
“This is simple not good enough. What the figures have indicated is that the number of student enrollment reduces as the students’ progress to senior secondary education levels,” he said.
“In an ideal jurisdiction, we would expect to see most, if not all students that commence primary education to complete their senior secondary education successfully,” Rodie said.
He said it is important authorities, partners and stakeholders must rethink and come up with alternatives.
Following the meeting currently, Rodie encourages leaders from education sectors across Solomon Islands to rethink its strategies and look at pathways to improve the country’s education system.
SIG has pledged to join the global community on SGDs agenda goal 4.
Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development.
This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030.
It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to a quality higher education.
