TRAINING of untrained teachers on Malaita will start in Auki later this month under a partnership program between the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) and the University of the South Pacific (USP), Honiara Campus.
An agreement for the largely donor-funded program was signed in Honiara by MEHRD’s Permanent Secretary, Franco Rodie and the Director of the USP Honiara Campus, Billy Fito’o on 27th May 2021.
The four-week training program in Auki starts on 21st June. It is part of the program which began in 2015 following the adoption of the policy to eliminate untrained teachers from the education system by providing teacher training through the program.
To date, some 554 untrained teachers have benefited from the program.
Dr. Rodie said he was delighted with the program because the Ministry does not “encourage or promote” engagements of untrained teachers.
“This program does not only create a pathway but is stair-casing upgrading of teachers, who previously did not have the opportunity to do so,” Dr. Rodie said at the signing.
USP Director, Dr. Fito’o said the USP was “privileged to be the facilitator of the program, which would provide teachers the opportunity to move up the academic ladder if they so wished.
Untrained teachers from Choiseul, Renbel, Temotu and Western Provinces have benefited from the program.
Funding the Solomon Islands Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) is the result of a joint partnership between the Solomon Islands, Australian and New Zealand governments. The ESSP is aimed at improving the quality of basic education which is accessible to all Solomon Islands’ children.
“The ESSP 2020-2023 provides targeted support to the Solomon Islands Government’s (SIG) Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) to work towards improving quality, access and management of the basic education sector up to Year 9.
The value of the combined investment over four years is approximately SD$385 million.
These include support for MEHRD to complete annual work program activities aligned with the National Education Action Plan (NEAP); technical advisory support to enable skills transfer; and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) grants to strengthen community support for children’s learning and program management,” according to documents on the program.
By ALFRED SASAKO
Newsroom, Honiara
