The constitution of Tuvalu does not specify the right to education (UCHR n.d.); however, education in the country is free and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 15. The Education Act from 2008, and the preceding Act from 1977, stipulates that the parent of every child of a specified age or ages shall secure the regular education of his child. It also states the penalties for parents who fail to enroll their children in schools (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade n.d.).
Under the Falekaupule Act (1997), increasing autonomy has been given to the island councils to determine development priorities within the central government's overall development goals different sectors, including education (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade n.d.).
Education in Tuvalu is managed by the Department of Education under the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. Within the Department of Education there are three ‘Chief Education Officers’ responsible for (i) Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Non Formal Education (NFE); (ii) Primary Education, Secondary Education, Junior Secondary School; and (iii) Curriculum and Assessment (DoE 2005).
Due to the diseconomies of scale, where a small population spreads throughout 8 atolls, the Department of Education is facing critical management constraints. In addition, the capacity of the Department is very limited, often resulting in high turnovers making it difficult to ensure that plans and activities are seen through to the end (UNESCO 2008).
Apart from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture and the Department of Education, there are several private and non-governmental actors in education in Tuvalu. In early childhood care and education, this includes the National Preschool Council (comprising of elected parents of children participating in preschools) and in general education the Preschool Teachers Association (UNICEF 2001). Other non-formal opportunities are mainly offered through NGOs. In Tuvalu the Tuvalu Association of NGOs (TANGO) is the umbrella group for non-government organizations and it provides several different training programmes, such as management, accounting and ICT (Pacific Islands Governance Portal n.d.).
