Education in Kiribati

As school winds down for the year it is appropriate to do a blog post on the education system in Kiribati.  Kiribati has very few resources and is one of the poorest nations in the world.  This post examines the education system for the I-Kiribati people.  It should help people appreciate the education system in more developed countries.

Kiribati Education

The Kiribati education system is based upon a 6-3-3 model and consists of five stages: Early Childhood Education for ages 3–5, Primary for ages 6–11 (Years 1–6), Junior Secondary for ages 12–15 (Years 7–9), Senior Secondary for ages 16–18 (Years 10–11) and Post-Secondary for ages 19–20 (Years 12–13). Age limits for each stage are notional, as it is common for students to repeat years. 

The first six years of formal education is within a primary school model covering grades 1-6. There are 91 government-run primary schools in Kiribati. The Kiribati Government is the sole provider of primary education in the country. Almost 30% of all primary age students are not enrolled in a primary school due to logistical constraints. High costs of maintaining and operating schools on outlying islands is prohibitive. 

There are 2 Combined/Junior Secondary Schools, 24 Junior Secondary Schools and 16 Senior Secondary schools in Kiribati. Approximately a quarter of these schools are government-run. The rest are run by religious groups. The Kiribati Government provides financial support both to the handful of public secondary schools and the non-government schools.

Schooling in Kiribati is free up to Junior Secondary level and attendance is legally compulsory between the ages of six and fourteen. However, a significant proportion of children in the primary and junior secondary age groups do not attend school. Students who fail competitive examinations at Year 9 and Year 11 are unable to continue their studies. This factor—and the school fees charged by all senior secondary schools—contribute to a high attrition rate among older school-age children.

Considering that the per capita income in Kiribati is less than $1500 per year, there are many challenges for families to find the necessary resources to educate their children.  Without scholarships, post secondary education is out of reach for most I-Kiribati people

English is the medium of instruction in secondary schools. The Kiribati language is widely used in primary schools, although its use is encouraged beginning in Year 3.  K-2 in most schools and preschools only teach in Kiribati during the first few grades.

 High Stakes Testing

One of the objectives of the Kiribati Government is to train and produce people with the particular technical and professional qualities to meet the manpower needs of the nation.  Thus only the best and brightest students are selected for education beyond primary school (6th Grade).  All students sit an examination at the end of class 6 (6th grade).  Of the approximate, 2000 students taking the test only 200 slots are available at four Junior Secondary Schools subsidized by the government.  

At the end of Form 3 (fifteen-year old) - students sit the "Junior Entrance Examination. Those who obtain high marks on this test are eligible to continue on to Forms 4 and 5 (grade 10 and 11).   If parents of children not passing the exam want to continue their education, they must pay the tuition and book fees which range from $400 to $600 or more per year.  The average per capita income in Kiribati is $1500 per year, so this places a great burden on families.  As a result many students do not continue education beyond primary and junior secondary school.  Only 25 percent of students attend a government or government subsidized high school.  The rest attend schools run by religious organizations.

At the end of Form 5 (11th grade) children sit the New Zealand School Certificate Examination.  For those getting high marks entry into Form 6 is possible.  At the end of one year in Form 6, children sit the Kiribati Form Six Exam, which costs the student $135 to take.  If their performance is of high standard, they may be considered for scholarships to the University of Papua New Guinea or universities in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

Moroni High and a few other schools provide a Form 7 curriculum, where students may earn concurrent college credit while still in high school.

Kiribati shares with the other Pacific Island countries a rather heavy reliance on norm-referenced classroom tests and external examinations in assessing learning achievements of its students. The examinations have to date served the necessary function of selection for the limited places at the secondary level and the tertiary institutions.

The trend to ‘push-out’ about 30 percent of candidates at the end of Primary School and another 30 percent at junior secondary school (Form 3) and about 50 percent more at Form 5 continues. The wastage in terms of human potential is serious, as there are only limited opportunities for those who do not pass these examinations to move into any other useful direction in search of a gainful employment.

Students desiring study in the Arts have to gain four "passes in: English, Mathematics, Geography, and History.  Science students must have "passes" in English, Mathematics, Science, and one optional subject for entry to a university.  Additional tests are given by the Kiribati Ministry of Education for students to be considered for Government scholarships with the final decision made by the Ministry's Scholarship Committee.

In the past, about 90 percent of total scholarship awards, was given by the British Government.  The remainder by Australia, New Zealand, Canada and others.  The UK is gradually reducing its financial assistance in Kiribati resulting in a decline in the number of students going overseas for university study.  Private sector scholarships are almost non existent, due to the lack of commercial enterprises with significant wealth to assist in supporting scholarships.

Some of the unsuccessful students, may be accepted in the tertiary institutions in South Tarawa: Tarawa Technical Institute, Tarawa Teachers College, Marine Training School, and the School of Nursing (operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Planning).

As you can see, education in Kiribati is like a pyramid, where students are sifted, sorted and pushed out - so only the best and brightest continue their education for the limited number of employment opportunities in the government and private sector.  This pyramid system is also due to the lack of available resources to provide an education for all students.  Most students with disabilities and special needs do not even get a primary grade school education.  There is only one school serving about 100 students in Kiribati for students with disabilities.  The school was begun by the Red Cross but is now run by the Australian Government.

 A Bright Spot for Universal Education Opportunities

One of the goals of the Church Education System in the Pacific is to allow students to continue their education even though they may not have received high marks on the government tests.  Moroni is attractive because of its high moral standards, safe environment, academic reputation, English only speaking classrooms, and low tuition ($200 per year).  There are about 20 scholarships available for students recommended by their bishops and branch presidents.  A few other individuals have also provided financial support to the school through BYU Hawaii and the LDS Foundation (much more is needed)

The enrollment at Moroni is around 500 students with about 80 student living in campus dormitories.  Costs for staying in the dorm is $175 per term (there are 3 terms).   Students from the outer islands, who do not have relatives with whom they can live stay in the dorms.  LDS and non LDS apply for entrance a Moroni, but the waiting list is much larger than space available.  

Visitors often observe how happy the students are at Moroni, some have referred to it as the "happy or smiley school".  We witness the joy students, especially young women,  show each day as they meet friends and give each other a hug and a kiss on the cheek then walk holding each others hands or with arms around each others shoulders.  Boys are a little more subtle, but you can see their joy as they see friends also.

Moroni High is truly "a gem" in the Pacific and provides hope for the future of its students, families, the Church, and the Nation. It has been and continues to be central to the growth of the Church in Kiribati.

English Continues to be Problematic in Kiribati

Even though English is the official language of Kiribati, a recent study by the University of South Pacific (USP) showed that only 12 to 14 percent of students sitting their English proficiency exams pass a with college readiness score.  This is compared to 48 to 50 percent of students at USP's other campuses in the Pacific.  Some possible explanations for this include the need for better English instruction at the Primary and Secondary Schools, the lack of English speaking media (few families have a television and local radio stations mainly speak Kiribati).

The returned missionaries who sit the SLEP Test, which is the English proficiency exam for BYU Hawaii, only about one in three pass the exam with a high enough score (52) for entrance there.  Nearly every returning missionary has a dream of attending BYU Hawaii, but only a small percent are admitted and unless they receive a scholarship, few have the resources to attend with out an I-Work Scholarship.

Another problem is that government scholarships will not provide a waiver for LDS students desiring to go on a mission or for other students unable to attend immediately.  The scholarships have a "use it or loose it" clause.  With the change in age requirements this will even be more challenging for students graduating from high school students earning a scholarship.  However, the age change is very positive for young women.  Currently, many sisters in Kiribati serve missions, so when they return at age 23 and work to get an education, may single sisters are in their late 20's or early 30's before they even consider marriage.

TVET

The problem of helping some 90% of school leavers who will not find a paid job has remained critical.  A renewed effort to establish technical and vocational programs and cottage industries is critically needed.  The TVET (Technical Vocational Education Training) is starting to receive more attention at the government and school levels.  There are a number of government institutions that offer TVET training in specific fields. These include:

• The Kiribati Institute of Technology provides short courses in areas such as the building trades, carpentry, vehicle maintenance, computer skills and business studies, adult education and engineering. Most courses are pre-diploma level, although there are a small number of diploma qualifications. 
• The Kiribati Police Academy offers pre-service training for recruits to the Kiribati Police. 
• The Kiribati School of Nursing runs courses leading to a Certificate in Midwifery and a Diploma in Nursing and Obstetrics. 
• The Kiribati Teachers College offers certificate- and diploma-level teacher training for primary and junior secondary teachers. 
• In addition, two government institutions provide TVET in the nautical field. The first of these is the Fisheries Training Centre (FTC).The FTC provides seamanship training to the level of rating (Deck, Engine and Fishing) for Kiribati men intending to work on commercial fishing vessels. Qualifications on offer also include an upgrading course for qualified fishermen. 
• The Marine Training Centre (MTC) runs basic training courses in deck, engine-room and catering work, including a number of certificate-level programs. German shipping companies provide the main employers for graduates of the MTC. 

There is a renewed effort among the LDS Church School on TVET programs.  Moroni High will implement several new TVET courses during the 2014 school year.

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Much of the information on this post was taken from: 

http://www.icde.org/projects/regulatory_frameworks_for_distance_education/country_profiles/kiribati/education_system/

http://www.unesco.org/education/wef/countryreports/kiribati/rapport_2_2.html