As the regional teacher education training provider, the University of the South Pacific (USP) continues to ensure its teacher development programmes are continuously reviewed and upgraded to global pedagogical best practices, integrating information technology into the teaching and learning process.
This was stressed by USP Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia during the closure of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) focused Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES) meeting in Nadi, Fiji.
Professor Ahluwalia highlighted that the discipline of education at USP will continue to review its teacher education programmes, ensuring they align with global best practices while remaining relevant to the Pacific context.
He said that USP, as a research institution, has further pledged its research facilities and capabilities to promote and advance any PacREF research activities to align with the programme’s objectives and seek new knowledge to benefit the regional development of education.
USP has three implementing agencies, the Pacific TAFE, Discipline of Education and Institute of Education, providing their areas of expertise to support the PacREF implementation.
In 2018, USP accepted the responsibility of hosting the PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU) as approved by the Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM).
The USP Vice-Chancellor said the institution remains fully supportive of the PFU, ensuring regular updates to all USP governing bodies, including the Council, on the programme’s progress.
These updates highlight the PacREF’s alignment with the USP’s strategic development plans.
The PacREF is a regional programme that seeks to deliver sustainable, affordable, high-quality education goods and services accessible to all Pacific countries.
This is done through partnerships and a commitment to regionalism. PacREF has 15 member countries; these countries are the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and they share the common goal of the Programme.
