Enrolment rates in Solomon Islands are some of the lowest in the Pacific region, and some isolated communities have virtually no access to education services at any level. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for primary school in 2010 was 122% while it was 70% and 28% respectively for junior and senior secondary school. However, the Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), which accounts for those students who are of official enrolment age, was 95% for primary education in the same year and 37% and 23% for junior and senior secondary, indicating that many over-aged children are enrolled at the primary level. Access to higher education is limited to only about 2% of the cohort and is unevenly distributed. Solomon Islands is one of the most dispersed island nations in the world and therefore faces communication and transport problems. Education accessibility in terms of gender and provincial distribution is unequal. The Gender Parity Index, or the ratio of the number of females to every 100 males, in 2010 was 91% for primary school, 89% for junior secondary school and 66% for senior secondary school (Ririma 2011). Attendance by school age population in Guadalcanal, Central province and Malaita is substantially lower than in other provinces, especially in relation to female attendance (UNESCO 2008).
Inherited colonial legacies and the rapid and unplanned expansion of formal education has created a disjointed and complex education system in Solomon Islands which is further hampered by poorly linked administrative and management structures. Consequently, the quality of education poses a significant challenge to Solomon Islands Government. Such challenges include deficiencies in capacity in terms of the number of classrooms, qualified teachers, curriculum, teaching-learning materials and staff housing. Teacher distribution varies greatly in each province, and an estimated 19% of untrained primary teachers and 16% of untrained secondary teachers were known to staff unfilled vacancies, especially in remote areas (UNESCO 2008). Transition rates are low with only about 29 out of every 100 Solomon Islands primary school graduates attending secondary school in 2008 and a junior to senior secondary school transition rate of 63% (FMSI and UN ECOSOC 2010). Curriculum materials are in short supply and there is a lack of development in life and work skills, despite high rates of youth unemployment. Considerable effort has been given to rethinking the aims of the Solomon Islands education system and the curriculum on which it is based (UNESCO 2008).
The Government signaled its commitment to achieving Universal Basic Education (UBE) when it officially abolished primary school fees in 2009. This commitment is underpinned by the Community Standard for School Funding (CSSF) and consequently the Government funds 90% of primary school running costs, with 40% of school grants earmarked for teaching and learning materials. However, parents are still required to contribute to the school in kind. Parents must pay school fees at the senior secondary level and at technical and vocational schools. The expenditure on education as a percentage of the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) budget in 2010 was 34%. The share spent on primary education in 2010 was 40% and that spent on secondary was 26% for junior secondary and 9.3% for senior secondary. Since 2009, expenditures earmarked for education have been increased for the implementation of the fee free education policy (Ririmae 2011). Solomon Islands work extensively with foreign donors in order to provide educational services to the population, especially to support its fee free education policy (UNESCO 2008). Over 75% of tertiary level students receive scholarships from SIG and donor partners (Ririmae 2011).
Solomon Islands Government (SIG) has developed a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) which involves all levels of the Education Sector. The SWAp is intended to aid SIG in reaching its goal of providing universal access to quality basic education for all children by 2015 (Ririmae 2011).
The Education Strategic Framework 2007-15 (a revised version of the 2004-06 strategic framework) is a document that provides the overall long-term strategic direction and oversight for Solomon Islands education system to the year 2015. The principal goals of this framework are to:
- Provide equitable access to quality basic education for all children in the Solomon Islands.
- Provide access to community, technical, vocational and tertiary education that will meet individual, regional and national needs for a knowledgeable, skilled, competent and complete people.
- Manage resources in an efficient, effective and transparent manner (Government of Solomon Islands 2007a).
The National Education Action Plan 2010-12 is the planning document that focuses on a shorter term 3-year time frame and was developed as an outcome of the Education Strategic Plan. It therefore shares the ESP’s 3 strategic goals. The document provides a focus on actions for the whole education sector, with specific proposals that are related to each of the main education sub-sectors. The National Education Plan is:
- Based on 3 education sector-wide strategic goals (derived from the Education Strategic Plan 2004-06);
- Includes outcomes and objectives designed to guide collective action and
- frame key challenges and potential projects;
- Builds on past successes and on the progress made in developing 10 provincial education action plans;
- Includes a preliminary set of minimum standards to serve as a baseline for measuring progress and achievement in the education sector;
- Includes proposed activities as priorities for action; and provides a mandate for leadership.
Additionally, as noted in the items above, Provincial Education Action Plans have been created for each province (Government of Solomon Islands 2007b).
