Through its Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), the Government of Vanuatu has provided scholarships for a cohort of 24 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers to undergo training at the University of the South Pacific (USP).
This was possible through the assistance of the Australian Government in collaboration with the Vanuatu Education Support Programme.
Launched on April 5th, 2023, the initiative allows the cohort to undergo an eight-month training programme from the Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) at the USP Emalus Campus, Vanuatu.
Pacific TAFE Early Childhood Care & Education Programme Coordinator Ms Salote Rokotokalecu said, “Vanuatu is the first country in the Pacific to have the government sponsor its ECCE teachers to go through such training.”
Vanuatu’s MOET Acting Director General, Mrs Nanise Lapi, highlighted the importance of upskilling ECCE teachers, adding that “From raw data provided by the ECCE at the beginning of this year, a total of 699 out of 909 teachers teaching ECCE classes in Vanuatu need to be upgraded by 2030.”
“I know that ECCE is proud to take the lead in this initiative since it was a long-term cry for them, but it requires commitment, time, effort, and dedication to succeed. We have a Teacher Development Plan in place, and USP will be the training provider, and this is the way forward,” she said.
Vanuatu aims to get all its teachers upskilled by 2030 in order to meet their National Sustainable Development Plan of 2016-2030.
Classes for the first cohort of teachers started on the 3rd of April, with the Pacific TAFE’s ECCE Programme Coordinator teaching the first class.
