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Solomon Islands: Summary Report Educational Experience Survey Education, Language and Literacy Experience About Asia South Pacific Education Watch Initiative The critical state and ailing condition of education in many countries in Asia-South Pacific region compels serious and urgent attention from all education stakeholders. Centuries of neglect, underinvestment in education, corrup- tion, and inefficiency by successive governments in the countries of the region have left a grim toll in poor education performance marked by low school attendance and survival rates, high dropout and illiteracy rates, and substandard education quality. Moreover, there are glaring disparities in access to education and learning opportunities: hundreds of millions of impover- ished and disadvantaged groups which include out-of-school chil- dren and youth, child workers, children in conflict areas, women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, dalit caste and other socially discriminated sectors, remain largely unreached and ex- cluded by the education system. Hence they are denied their fundamental human right to edu- cation and hindered from availing of the empowering and trans- formative tool of quality, life-long learning that could have equipped them to realize their full human potential, uplift their living conditions, and participate meaningfully in governance and in decisions that affect their lives. At Midway: Failing Grade in EFA In the year 2000, governments and the international commu- nity affirmed their commitment to quality Education for All (EFA) and Millenium Develoment Goals (MDGs). Midway to target year 2015, government assessments of EFA progress re- veal that education gaps and disparities persist, and education conditions may even be worsening as indicated by shortfalls and reversals in EFA achievement. The landmark year 2007 therefore presents a timely opportu- nity for civil society networks to engage governments in address- ing the unmet EFA goals and MDG education targets, especially for disadvantaged groups. Real World Strategies Spurred by the challenge of pushing for accelerated progress towards EFA, the Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Educa- tion (ASPBAE) and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) launched the Real World Strategies (RWS) programme to under- take realistic and practical initiatives based on the actual condi- tions, experiences, and aspirations of people in communities. (Continued on inside back cover) Solomon Islands: Summary Report Educational Experience Survey Education, Language and Literacy Experience 2007 ISBN 81-278-0019-8 Solomon Islands: Summary Report Education Experience Survey Education, Language and Experience Educational Experience Survey © 2007, Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE) The Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education iv (ASPBAE) is a regional association of organisations and individuals working towards promoting quality education for all and transformative and liberating, life-long adult education and learning. It strives to forge and sustain an Asia-Pacific movement dedicated to mobilizing and supporting community and people’s organizations, national education coalitions, teachers unions, campaign networks, and other civil society groups and institutions in holding governments and the international donor community accountable in meeting education targets and commitments, ensuring the right of all to education, and upholding education as an empowering tool for combating poverty and all forms of exclusion and discrimination, pursuing sustainable development, enabling active and meaningful participation in governance, and building a culture of peace and international understanding. ASPBAE publications form an integral part of ASPBAE’s information, education, and advocacy activities and efforts, and seek to support sharing and learning among education stakeholders, advocates, practitioners, analysts, and policy-makers. The reader is therefore encouraged to use the material contained herein for reproduction, adaptation, and translation worldwide for use in nonprofit education and information activities and publications, with due acknowledgement to ASPBAE, and to provide feedback that could help in further improving these publications. Contents 1 A. Education Watch Initiative 2 B. Educational Experience Survey 3 C. Education for All (EFA) – Promises and Progress 5 D. Key Messages from the Educational Experience Survey 6 E. Key Findings from the Educational Experience Survey 1. Attitudes to Literacy and Education 2 . Educational Experience 3. Language Experience 4. Literacy – Measures and Methods 5. Literacy – Read ing and Writing Confidence 6. Literacy – Assessment of Literacy Levels 13 F. Policy Implications – Calls for Urgent Action 1. Provide Second-Chance Learning Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth and Adults 2. Abol ish Primary School Co-Contribution Fees and Improve Access to Primary Education 3. Guarantee Qual ity Education in Schools 4. Develop a Vernacular Language Pol icy 5. Develop a National Literacy Pol icy and Increase Fund ing for Literacy 16 G. A Final Note: The Challenges Ahead Educational Experience Survey Executive Editorial Board: Maria Lourdes Almazan Khan vi Secretary General, ASPBAE Bernard Lovegrove Programme Manager, ASPBAE Raquel Castillo Asia Advocacy and Campaigns Coordinator, Real World Strategies for Education for All, ASPBAE/GCE Policy Group: Rene Raya, Lead Policy Analyst Darmiyanti Muchtar, South East Asia Policy Analyst Aruna Anand, South Asia Policy Analyst Grant Harrison, South Pacific Policy Analyst National Coordinator, Solomon Islands: Roselyn Wale, Coalition for Education Solomon Islands (COESI) Publications Group: Sylvia de Guzman, Writer Luz Rimban, Editor Michael Garcia, Layout Artist Federico ‘Boy’ Dominguez, Cover Designer/Illustrator Solomon Islands: Summary Report Educational Experience Survey Education, Language and Literacy Experience Political turmoil in recent years has severely weakened the educational system in the Solomon Islands, l ike many institutions in the country. This has triggered crises in d ifferent aspects of the system: alarmingly low l iteracy rates, poor qual ity of education, and a d iminishing participation among the youth in schools. But the obstacles can be overcome. Advocates have identified immed iate and long-term prospects for reform, while citizens have acknowledged the need for education in daily l ife. This paper 1 d iscusses the l iteracy situation and the solutions that can pave the way for compl iance with the goals of Education for All. s A. Education Watch Initiative The Education Watch initiative is being implemented in the Solomon Islands by the Coal ition on Education Solomon Islands (COESI) in partnership with Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE). COESI aims to generate a rel iable body of information that will: Solomon Island Accurately explain how much the national government has done and can do to meet the goal of educating the community; and Provide a firm basis for community participation in pol icy advocacy and program development. COESI initially focused on conducting research to determine l iteracy levels, particularly among out-of-school youth and adults. COESI also helps monitor education programs across the Asia-Pacific region, such as the School Report Card project of ASPBAE. B. Educational Experience Survey The Educational Experience Survey is a key element of the Education Watch initiative. Developed by ASPBAE and COESI in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Education Advocacy Network (PEAN), it was designed to collect accurate and statistically significant information about educational, language, and l iteracy experience at the village and ind ividual levels in selected communities in Honiara and Malaita. The survey was conducted using a two-stage systematic sampl ing method in Honiara and Malaita provinces from November 2006 to March 2007, with 2,200 people between the ages of 15 and 60 years interviewed. This report summarizes the main find ings of the survey. A full version is available upon request. While the survey was conducted in only two provinces, the find ings and impl ications apply to the whole of the Solomon Islands. Still, one immed iate need that emerged from the survey is for an extended study to include other provinces. Such a Educational Experience Survey study needs to be done on a regular basis so that trends and progress 2 Education Watch surveyor interviewing respondent at Gilbert Camp settlement in Honiara can be tracked over time. There is potential also for the survey to be adapted to examine a wide range of educational issues in greater detail. C. Education for All (EFA) – Promises and Progress In April 2000, the Solomon Islands joined 163 other nations which committed to achieve what has become known as Education for All. In 2004, the Solomon Islands government began a 15-year program to rehabil itate and reform the education system which, l ike many institutions in the country, had been severely d isrupted by years of ethnic tension and civil d isturbance. The first step was to develop an Education Strategic Plan. While the plan does not expl icitly recognize the EFA goals, its overarching objective echoes a central concept of the EFA framework, which is to provide universal access to basic education for all children by 2015. The plan also commits to improving access to technical and vocational education and training. The original and subsequent ed itions of the plan establ ish priorities and plans of action to comprehensively reform the education system to ensure the “equitable del ivery of qual ity education and training services to all people throughout Solomon Islands.” 3 Accord ing to the 2007 EFA Global Monitoring Report: Strong Foundations, Early Childhood Care and Education, there are two areas s where some progress is evident in the Solomon Islands: Pre-primary gross enrolment ratios have increased from 35% in 1999 to 41% in 2004; and By 2004, the Solomon Islands moved close to gender parity in primary education gross enrolment ratios, with a gender parity index of 0.97. However, it is striking to note that for most EFA indicators, data Solomon Island is simply unavailable. There is, for example, insufficient data for an EFA Development Index to be calculated for Solomon Islands. This index would have allowed country comparisons to track progress towards complying with EFA Goals. This paucity of accurate and rel iable data has been noted by many official sources in recent years, includ ing the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.[1] The l ittle comparative data available ind icates that the Solomon Islands’ education sector performance compares poorly with Pacific countries. Information publ ished by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community shows that the Solomon Islands is ranked: 14th out of 15 Pacific countries on primary school net enrolment ratios; 10th out of 15 in the proportion of students commencing in Grade 1 who reach Grade 5; and 13th out of 15 in relation to youth l iteracy rates.[2] These rankings tend to confirm assessments made by some of the Solomon Islands’ major international development partners. AusAID has observed that “the l iteracy rate is low and access to primary and secondary education is l imited compared with other Pacific countries.”[3] In a similar vein, NZAID notes that recent confl icts in the Solomon Islands have seriously d isrupted the provision of education services to the extent that “few children complete primary school … education facil ities are deficient and instructional materials are non-existent in most schools.”[4] NZAID concludes that “there is a serious risk that the country may not achieve any of the EFA goals or the education- Educational Experience Survey related MDGs (Millennium Development Goals).”[5] 4 The 2006 Global Monitoring Report observes that for countries l ike the Solomon Islands where progress has been slow, “achieving EFA will require intervention throughout the school system” and “a re- doubl ing of efforts in key pol icy areas,” includ ing: Planning and financing for EFA; Teacher supply and qual ity; Reaching the d isadvantaged sectors— out-of-school youth, and adults, the poor, ethnic, and l inguistic minorities, the d isabled, and the sick; Adapting to confl ict, natural d isaster, and economic instabil ity; Establ ishing safe and healthy schools; and Harnessing higher levels of better targeted, better coord inated, and more pred ictable international assistance. D. Key Messages from the Educational Surveyor interviewing Experience Survey resident at Mamanawata Settlement, Honiara The survey find ings point to areas of much needed while piloting the 5 reform in the education sector in the Solomon Islands. questionnaire Hence, this report is intended as a constructive contribution in support of the EFA goals. s As highl ighted in the Survey, the Solomon Islands face: 1. A crisis in literacy, as seen in low l iteracy rates in the community, dramatically lower than officially reported rates; 2. A crisis in school quality, as shown by low l iteracy rates for those who have completed school; and 3. A crisis in youth engagement in learning, as proven by low school participation rates for those aged 15 to 19 years. Solomon Island These are significant challenges requiring concerted government and community attention, and coord inated, long-term financing assistance from international development partners. Yet they are not insurmountable. Drawing on the wisdom and experience of the community, the suggestions in this report and the many documented success stories from around the globe, practical strategies can be devised. ASPBAE and COESI urge the Solomon Islands government and its international development partners to accept these challenges and accelerate progress towards achievement of the EFA Goals. E. Key Findings from the Educational Experience Survey 1. Attitudes to Literacy and Education The overwhelming majority of survey respondents bel ieve that being able to read, write, and count is an important everyday l ife skill: 84.9% of respondents ind icate that read ing skills are very useful or useful sometimes in their everyday l ife; 84.2% ind icate that writing skills are very useful or useful sometimes; and 94.1% ind icate that counting skills are very useful or useful sometimes. There is also near universal recognition of the importance of school education: 97.7% of respondents agree that it is very important for all children to go to school. 2 . Educational Experience However, despite this understand ing, almost half or 45.9% of 15- Educational Experience Survey to 19-year-olds are not attend ing school. School attendance for girls in this age group is particularly worrying, with more than half or 6 53.8% not attend ing school. There are provincial variations as well. Fifty-two percent or more than half of young people in this age group in Malaita and 42% in Honiara are not attend ing school. (See Table 1). AT SCHOOL NOW? 15-19 YEARS Yes No Total Male 148 89 237 % 62.4 37.6 100 Female 117 136 253 % 46.2 53.8 100 Honiara 175 127 302 % 57.9 42.1 100 Malaita Table 1. Number and 90 98 188 percentage of young % 47.9 52.1 100 people aged 15 to 19 in Honiara and Malaita who Total 265 225 490 are attending and not % 54.1 45.9 100 attending school Primary school participation rates have also decl ined dramatically in recent years. The school attendance of respondents 15 to 19 years old is low in contrast to the higher rates of school completion reported by respondents 20 to 24 years old and 25 to 29 years old. Two-thirds of all respondents in these older age groups report that they completed primary school. (See Table 2). Completed Primary School, 15-60 Years Yes No 15-19 years 140 118 % 54.3 45.7 20-24 years 256 135 % 65.5 34.5 25-29 years 231 118 % 66.2 33.8 30-39 years 227 198 % 53.4 46.6 40-49 years 96 133 Table 2. Number and % 41.9 58.0 percentage of respondents in 7 50-60 years 62 111 different age groups who % 35.8 64.1 completed primary school s There is clearly a crisis in youth engagement in schooling in the Solomon Islands. Low levels of youth participation in school will mean low levels of educational attainment and fewer l ife opportunities for these young people. Immed iate action is required to provide meaningful second- chance learning opportunities for those young people who have been denied a full basic education. Solomon Island Urgent action is also needed to reverse the decl ine in primary school participation to ensure that the next generation of young people is not similarly d isadvantaged. A useful starting point for action are the main barriers to school participation identified in the survey. Table 3 l ists the percentage of respondents who cited the various obstacles, which are: Physical d istance between schools and students; Parental expectations that helping at home should take priority over school ing; Students’ lack of interest in school; and High cost of school fees, specifically the co-contribution, which is the amount parents are required to pay. REASONS FOR NOT ATTENDING PRIMARY SCHOOL Male Female Total School too far away 147 180 327 % of respondents 54.2 47.6 50.4 School fees too high 116 137 253 % of respondents 42.8 36.2 39 Other costs too high 74 104 178 % of respondents 27.3 27.5 27.4 School not safe 62 95 157 % of respondents 22.9 25.1 24.2 Not enough desks, books 55 83 138 % of respondents 20.3 22 21.3 No toilets for girls 54 80 134 % of respondents 19.9 21.2 20.6 Not interested 119 150 269 % of respondents 43.9 39.7 41.4 Parents want help at home 102 204 306 % of respondents 37.6 54 47.1 Parents want me to work 77 119 196 Educational Experience Survey % of respondents 28.4 31.5 30.2 Table 3. Number and percentage of 8 respondents citing various reasons that keep students away from school It is significant to note that parents impose more pressure on females than on males to help at home. This was the most frequently cited reason females gave for not attend ing school. More female respondents also cited school safety, absence of toilet facil ities, and parents’ expectations for them to work as reasons for not attend ing primary school. Those wishing to continue to secondary education face many of the same barriers. In fact, the barriers are even more significant as children grow older. In relation to school fees, for example, the level of co-contribution expected from parents increases in the senior secondary years. Young people may also face more pressure from parents and extended family to help at home and contribute to domestic responsibil ities as they become older and stronger. The social, economic, and human costs of fail ing to overcome these barriers will far outweigh the short-term investment needed to improve access to basic educational opportunities. 3. Language Experience It is common for Solomon Islanders to be orally fluent in two or more languages. People use d ifferent languages in d ifferent settings. In Malaita, trad itional local or vernacular languages called langus are spoken at home far more widely than either of the official languages, Pijin or Engl ish. But in conversations between friends, Pijin is used more frequently. In Honiara, while the patterns of language use vary sl ightly, multiple language fluency is also clearly evident. While most people grow up with langus as their first language, langus are not used as languages of instruction in schools. A number of other countries, includ ing Papua New Guinea, have judged that there are learning and cultural advantages in using vernacular instruction in the early years of school ing. This issue deserves serious study in the Solomon Islands. It may be one way of engaging more students in formal education and giving them a head start into future learning at school. 9 s Solomon Island Education Watch Surveyors’ Training Workshop in Honiara 4. Literacy – Measures and Methods The most recent official l iteracy statistics based on the 1999 national census claim that 76.6% of the adult population are l iterate. A national youth l iteracy rate of 62% derived from 1991 data has also been reported. Using census-derived data as a basis for calculating l iteracy rates is widely acknowledged to be flawed. It is a proxy ind icator, relying on self-declaration rather than ind ividual assessment. It is also more l ikely a household opinion rather than an accurate ind ividual estimation, with answers given by the head of the household on behalf of other members of the family. The survey incorporates more rigorous methodology. It encompasses self-assessed levels of read ing and writing confidence in both langus and the official languages and, more importantly, an independent assessment of each respondent’s l iteracy skills. As a result, it presents a much more complete understand ing of l iteracy in the two provinces in which data was collected. 5. Literacy – Reading and Writing Confidence While langus is very commonly used in everyday l ives, people are not confident of their abil ity to read and write their langus: Less than half of respondents or 44.8% ind icate they can read their langus easily and 22.8% ind icate that they cannot Educational Experience Survey read it; and 39.9% of respondents ind icate they can write their langus 10 easily and 28.8% say they cannot write it. If vernacular languages were used as languages of instruction in schools, these figures could be expected to improve. What is perhaps more alarming is that people also lack confidence in their abil ity to read their preferred official language. Only 46.4% say they can read their preferred official language easily and one out of four or 25% say they cannot read it at all. This lack of read ing and writing confidence is worrying, especially when, as noted earl ier, an overwhelming proportion of people say that being able to read and write is important in their everyday l ives. 6. Literacy – Assessment of Literacy Levels The results of the l iteracy assessment present the fail ings of the education system even more starkly. The detailed assessment of the component skills of l iteracy— read ing, writing, counting and the abil ity to use these skills in everyday l ives—shows that just 17% of respondents are literate; 42.7% are semi-l iterate, and 40.2% are non-l iterate. It should be emphasized at this point that the bar was not set high for respondents to be classified as l iterate, as can be seen by the sample questions at the end of the main report. The Solomon Islands is in the midst of a literacy crisis. The defining elements of this crisis, as l isted in Table 4, are that: Literacy levels in Malaita, at just 7%, are much lower than in Honiara at 28%. Males are more l ikely to be l iterate than females; 21% of males are l iterate compared to 14% of females. Literacy levels at all ages are poor. The highest l iteracy rate is only 26% for the 15- to 19-year age group. Youth l iteracy rates of 20% are higher than adult l iteracy rates of 16%. While the youngest age group has the highest l iteracy rate, it also has the second highest level of non-l iterates at 18%, behind only the 30- to 39-year age group, 22% of whom are non-l iterate. Li L t i e t racy C acy l C as l si as fi si cat fi i cat o i n o s n No N n o - n L - ite i rate Semi-Literate Li L t i erate 11 Ove Ov rall al li l t li e t racy ( acy % ( ) ) 40.2 . 4 2 2.7 . 7 17.0 17.0 s Ma M le (%) 29.3 . 4 3 9.6 . 6 21.1 21.1 Fema m le l (% ( ) ) 45.7 . 3 7 9.8 . 8 14.5 14.5 Honia i ra (%) ) 23.6 . 4 6 8.5 . 5 27.8 27.8 Ma M la l it i a t (%) ) 55.6 . 3 6 7.4 . 4 7.0 7.0 Yo Y u o t u h t ( h 1 ( 5-19 y 5- e 19 y ar e s) s ) Ma M le (% ( ) % ) 22.3 . 3 54.4 . 4 23.3 23. 3 Fe F ma m le (% ( ) ) 34.6 . 6 47.8 . 8 17.4 17. 4 Solomon Island Youth Y ( outh % ( ) ) 28.5 . 5 51.0 . 0 20.3 20. 3 Table 4. Percentage of Ad A ult l ( t 25- ( 60 25- ye y ar e s) s ) respondents who Ma M le (% ( ) % ) 34.6 . 6 46.0 . 0 19.4 19. 4 are non-literate, Fe F ma m le (% ( ) ) 53.8 . 8 33.9 . 9 12.3 12. 3 semi-literate, Adult ( Adul % t ( ) ) 44.3 . 3 39.9 . 9 15.8 15. 8 and literate These results pose some serious questions to those overseeing the education system in the Solomon Islands, especially the government and international development partners. Education Watch surveyor The results of the survey will hopefully interviewing a mother at shake the complacency with which Mamanawata settlement successive governments have viewed the issue of literacy in the community. Many have known that the official literacy rates are unreliable and yet these are still cited in official publications. The official figures are grossly misleading and should no longer be used as a basis for policy-making. Educational Experience Survey There is a clear correlation between completion of primary school and the acquisition of l iteracy skills. Almost all l iterates in the survey completed primary school and almost all of those who d id not attend 12 primary school are non-l iterate. Unless urgent action is taken to reverse the decl ine in primary school participation, as called for earl ier, the pattern of low l iteracy will become even more deeply entrenched in the community. But as survey find ings show, merely send ing children to school does not guarantee the acquisition of l iteracy skills. Only 28.1% of those who complete primary school are literate. This is well short of the target set in the government’s 2004-2006 National Education Plan that 60% of students in Year 4 show satisfactory l iteracy achievement, as tested by the Solomon Islands Standard ised Tests of Achievement. The l iteracy rate for those who have completed secondary school is higher, but still, less than half of those who complete secondary school are literate. There is clearly also a crisis of quality in our schools. It is imperative that the government redouble its efforts to dramatically l ift the qual ity of education available in schools. Qual ity is just as important as participation. F. Policy Implications – Calls for Urgent Action ASPBAE and COESI urge the Solomon Islands Government and its international development partners to accept the challenges posed by this report and to take urgent action to accelerate progress towards achievement of the EFA Goals. While the challenges are significant, they are neither new nor insurmountable. Practical responses can be devised, drawing on the many documented success stories from around the globe and the experience of many in the community. What is required most is pol itical will from the country’s leaders, and coord inated and consistent support from international development partners. In response to the find ings that there is a crisis in literacy, a crisis in school quality, and a crisis in youth engagement in learning, we urge the following urgent actions which should be considered alongside the many strategies proposed in the EFA Global Monitoring Reports: 1. Provide Second-Chance Learning Opportunities 13 for Out-of-School Youth and Adults The government and its international development partners must s take urgent action to ensure that the learning needs of all out-of- school youth and adults are met through equitable access to qual ity appropriate learning and l ife skills programs, includ ing l iteracy and numeracy. These reflect Goals 3 and 6 of Education for All. In particular, the government should develop a second-chance education strategy aimed at provid ing learning opportunities for out- of-school youth and adults. The strategy should focus on: a) Literacy skills; Solomon Island b) Life and work skills; and c) Those who have been excluded from formal school ing, especially girls and youth in remote areas. In developing its second-chance education strategy, the government should: a) Draw on the experience of, and provide support to, those civil society organisations with an active involvement in provid ing non-formal education and training for young people and adults who have missed out on a full education; b) Ensure that the efforts of the various government and civil society providers of non-formal education and training are better coord inated and targeted to meet community needs; and c) Institute support systems and structures which respect alternative or non-formal approaches to learning and, at the same time, provide a pathway into formal school ing for those who wish to do so. 2. Abolish Primary School Co-Contribution Fees and Improve Access to Primary Education The government and its international development partners must take urgent action to ensure that by 2015 all children have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good qual ity. This implements Goal 2 of Education for All. The government should immed iately review its school financing pol icy and abol ish the requirement on parents to make a co- contribution to the costs of school ing. The government should adopt as pol icy the view that no child should be denied access to basic educational opportunity by Educational Experience Survey geography. All children should have convenient admittance to free local primary schools or to appropriate free d istance learning 14 opportunities. 3. Guarantee Quality Education in Schools The government and its international development partners must pay particular attention to the qual ity shortfalls identified in the National Education Action Plan 2007-2009: a) The rate of teacher certification must be increased and the proportion of uncertified classroom teachers at all levels of school ing must be reduced. b) Student-teacher ratios at all levels must be further improved. c) The acquisition of l iteracy, numeracy, and l ife skills must be the daily focus of classroom activities. d) Students must be encouraged in their learning by methods, content, and materials which allow them to acquire l iteracy, numeracy, and l ife skills. Schools must be made relevant to the l ives, interests and cultural contexts of young people in the Solomon Islands. Add itional measures to increase the qual ity of education in schools include: a) The improvement and maintenance of school infrastructure, especially to ensure clean water suppl ies, hygienic toilet facil ities for boys and girls, and, at secondary schools, safe dormitory facil ities. A critical element of this task should be to conduct a national aud it of all school build ings and facil ities, to provide a clear basis for infrastructure improvement programs; b) Codes of behaviour for students and teachers to ensure safe learning environments; c) Free school meals programs to improve nutrition, encourage attendance and learning, and strengthen connections between famil ies and schools. 4. Develop a Vernacular Language Policy The government and its international development partners should conduct a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits of using vernacular languages as the principal means of instruction in the early years of school ing. This analysis should involve extensive publ ic consultation and consideration of the approaches taken in similarly situated countries in the Pacific. 15 5. Develop a National Literacy Policy s and Increase Funding for Literacy The government and its international development partners should acknowledge that the Solomon Islands is facing a l iteracy crisis and must take urgent action to achieve a 50% increase in adult l iteracy by 2015, which is Education for All’s Goal 4. In particular, the government should develop a national l iteracy pol icy, which focuses on measures to address the l iteracy needs of out-of-school youth, adults, girls and women, and people l iving in remote communities. The pol icy should draw on the experience of, Solomon Island and provide support to, those civil society organisations with an active involvement in non-formal and adult education, especially in l iteracy training. The government and its international development partners should refrain from using official l iteracy rates derived from the 1999 census. We recommend that the methodology and results obtained in this survey be acknowledged as producing accurate and rel iable l iteracy data, and that the government work with ASPBAE and COESI to extend the Educational Experience Survey includ ing the l iteracy assessment into other provinces around the country. G. A Final Note: The Challenges Ahead While this report highl ights the magnitude of some of the challenges facing the Solomon Islands, it also presents a positive message: Practical steps can be taken to meet these challenges. With determined and concerted action, it is possible to make significant progress towards achievement of the EFA Goals in the Solomon Islands by 2015. Civil society organisations stand ready to play their part by entering into partnerships with government in contributing to pol icy development and to provid ing learning opportunities, for example, second-chance opportunities for out-of-school youth and adults. We urge the Solomon Islands Government and its international development partners to rise to these challenges and take urgent action to accelerate progress towards the EFA Goals. Educational Experience Survey Endnotes 16 [1] See Definitions of MDG Targets & Indicators on the website of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (http://www.spc.int/mdgs/) Education Strategic Plan 2004-2006, p.13. [2] See MDG Ranking Graphs: Education Indicators on the website of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (http://www.spc.int/prism/mdg/ ed_mdg_ranking.html) accessed 8 Oct. 2007. [3] AusAID, Solomon Islands Country Program on AusAID’s website (http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/country.cfm?CountryId=16) accessed 2 June 2005. [4] NZAID, Solomon Islands Country Program on NZAID’s website (http:// www.nzaid.govt.nz/programmes/c-solomon-islands.html) accessed 19 June 2005. [5] See New Zealand’s Contribution to the Global Partnership for Development, the Millennium Development Goals, 2005, p. 19 on NZAID’s website (http://www.nzaid.govt.nz/library/docs/mdg-report- 2005.pdf.). (Continued from inside front cover) RWS found the need for pursuing a vigorous, evidence-based policy advocacy to build shared understanding and rally civil society organizations (CSOs) around common goals, establish credibility with opinion-framers and decision-makers, marshal evidence as part of a systematic strategy to influence policy, and supply missing data on excluded and unreached sectors. Campaign calls and messages needed to be supported by credible evidence, based on the real state of edu- cation in communities. Asia-South Pacific Education Watch Initiative and Publications These publications are the result of education watch processes initiated and pursued since 2006 by the RWS programme of ASPBAE and GCE, in partnership with national education coalitions from In- dia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. Building on the successful Education Watch model implemented by CAMPE in Bangladesh, the Asia-South Pacific Education Watch (EdWatch) was designed and coordinated by the RWS Steering Com- mittee composed of ASPBAE, Education International, and GlobalMarch Against Child Labor, and the RWS Asia Pacific staff. EdWatch has emerged as an independent, citizen-based monitor- ing mechanism for assessing the status of education at the regional, national, and local levels, providing well-founded bases for advocacy and education campaign work and strengthening CSO capacities for policy engagement in education. It is designed to track governments’ progress in achieving quality education for all, with focus on address- ing the education deficit for disadvantaged sectors. Challenge to Civil Society The daunting education situation in the region poses a challenge to CSOs to sound a clear wake-up call to governments to shake off their complacency, go beyond rhetoric, summon the political will, and redouble efforts. There is a crying need to assess existing education programmes, allocate more funds and resources for education, and institute targeted measures to address education disadvantage. Since Dakar 2000, CSO participation in EFA processes has seen the progressive growth in strength and maturity of national education coalitions, and their developing capacity to conduct research and policy analysis and advocacy. Armed with their EdWatch findings, CSOs and education stakeholders can put together more coherent education policy agenda for lobbying, disseminate information to en- hance public awareness of education issues, effectively engage gov- ernments in education planning and policy-making, and strongly as- sert and sharpen CSO and stakeholders’ participation in education governance at all levels. – ASPBAE Document Outline
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