Education in Kiribati
Key
Point: Although it is a significant expenditure and important for the
development of I-Kiribati, the educational system in Kiribati is stressed. The majority of children have no access to
education beyond age 14. Many who are
successful leave to find employment overseas, resulting in a “brain drain.”
The Government of Kiribati defines basic education as 6 years of primary school (ages 6 to 11) and 3 years of junior secondary (ages 12 to 14). Institutes of senior secondary education, for students 15 to 18 years of age, are also present on the atolls, although many are church-run and not categorized as basic education.
School is mandatory (and free) for children through age 14, after which it becomes subject to competitive admissions to church and state run schools. Students who fail competitive examinations at Year 9 and Year 11 are unable to continue their studies. There simply are not enough secondary school places for all students. This factor - and the school fees charged by all senior secondary schools that many families cannot afford - contribute to a high attrition rate among older school-age children and severely constrains academic opportunities and achievements.
Few children who attend primary school in outer islands are qualified to enter secondary school because of lower education quality in outlying schools and the resultant low student achievement levels. Families that can afford to send their children to the better schools on Tarawa try to do so, but that leads to ubiquitous overcrowding in urban schools. As a result, furniture, teaching materials and library facilities are commonly very basic. Many school buildings and classrooms are in bad repair. Water supply and sanitary facilities in many schools are also very poor – one survey reported 27 toilets for 6,514 primary school students on South Tarawa, and most kids had no access to a toilet at all.
Even those students who are successful in school face an uncertain future. An estimated 70% of young people on South Tarawa are unemployed or underemployed. Of those who are fortunate enough to enter a training school (Marine or Fisheries), many leave after graduation to find work overseas. Recently, however, scholarships available for I-Kiribati students to study overseas have been markedly reduced (see news story HERE), and face an uncertain future.
Goals for Good endeavors to support kids to continue their education to the high-school level.
The Government of Kiribati defines basic education as 6 years of primary school (ages 6 to 11) and 3 years of junior secondary (ages 12 to 14). Institutes of senior secondary education, for students 15 to 18 years of age, are also present on the atolls, although many are church-run and not categorized as basic education.
School is mandatory (and free) for children through age 14, after which it becomes subject to competitive admissions to church and state run schools. Students who fail competitive examinations at Year 9 and Year 11 are unable to continue their studies. There simply are not enough secondary school places for all students. This factor - and the school fees charged by all senior secondary schools that many families cannot afford - contribute to a high attrition rate among older school-age children and severely constrains academic opportunities and achievements.
Few children who attend primary school in outer islands are qualified to enter secondary school because of lower education quality in outlying schools and the resultant low student achievement levels. Families that can afford to send their children to the better schools on Tarawa try to do so, but that leads to ubiquitous overcrowding in urban schools. As a result, furniture, teaching materials and library facilities are commonly very basic. Many school buildings and classrooms are in bad repair. Water supply and sanitary facilities in many schools are also very poor – one survey reported 27 toilets for 6,514 primary school students on South Tarawa, and most kids had no access to a toilet at all.
Even those students who are successful in school face an uncertain future. An estimated 70% of young people on South Tarawa are unemployed or underemployed. Of those who are fortunate enough to enter a training school (Marine or Fisheries), many leave after graduation to find work overseas. Recently, however, scholarships available for I-Kiribati students to study overseas have been markedly reduced (see news story HERE), and face an uncertain future.
Goals for Good endeavors to support kids to continue their education to the high-school level.