The Constitution of Kiribati of 1979, amended in 1995, stipulates that no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except in the case of a person under the age of 18 years, under the order of a court or with the consent of his/her parent or guardian, for the purpose of his/her education or welfare (Government of Kiribati 1980).
The Education Ordinance (Cap 29 of the Laws of Kiribati) of 1979 provides the main legal framework for provision and monitoring of education services in the country. Also, under Kiribati Law, education is compulsory and free for all children in primary and junior secondary schools (Government of Kiribati 1996).
The Education Ordinance was amended by the Education (Amendment) Act of 1996, which empowered the Ministry to shut down non-government schools which are illegally operating without being registered; and by the Act to Amend the Education Ordinance (CAP. 29) in 1997 which made corporal punishment illegal in schools (Government of Kiribati 1996).
The Ministry of Education, Training and Technology (METT), headed by a Ministry appointed permanent secretary, manages and controls education-related issues in Kiribati. Administration is centralized with little authority given to individual schools. The METT is the lone provider of basic education (years 1 to 9), while many senior secondary schools are church-operated. Higher education is administered by the University of the South Pacific, or, for vocational schools, the METT (UNESCO 2008).
The Ministry of Education Training and Technology (METT) is the sole education provider for primary and junior secondary education in Kiribati. School curriculum development is conducted through the Ministry’s Curriculum Development Centre in Tarawa. The Early Childhood Education initiative is the purview of many NGOs, but has been particularly promoted by the Kiribati Early Childhood Education Association (KECEA). The Church Education Development Association Kiribati (CEDAK) is the governing body of church schools, which administer many senior secondary institutions. Tertiary level institutions include the University of the South Pacific, while vocational schools are the Tarawa Technical Institute (TTI), the Marine Training Centre (MTC), the Kiribati Teacher College (KTC), and the Tungaru Nurse Training School (UNESCO 2008). Non-formal adult education is provided mainly through women’s organizations, run by the churches and the National Council of Women (UNICEF 2005).
