Education Watch Report revealed education crisis in Solomon Islands

An education watch report in two locations in Solomon Islands has revealed areas that the country needs to address.

Coordinator of the Coalition on Education Solomon Islands and the Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education, Rose Wale, says the survey provides new education data and reveals that the country is facing three crisis.

Ms Wale says the first is a crisis in literacy, as evidenced by low literacy rates in the community, much lower than the grossly misleading officially reported rates.

"The second one is that the quality of our education is very low because out there in rural communities we went to results show that even people who have completed primary schools and even some who have received secondary education are still not able to read and write. So our quality of education is very low."

Ms Wale says the third is a crisis in youth engagement in learning, as evidenced by low school participation rates for 15 to 19 year olds.

She says these are significant challenges, requiring urgent and determined action from Solomon Islands government and its international development partners.

The survey was carried out in Honiara and 23 villages in Malaita Province.

A summary of the Survey report, containing details of the findings of the urgent action to address these challenges will be available at a launch in Honiara today (30/10/07).

Source: SIBC