In an effort to progress the improvement of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) strategy implementation process of the National Education Action Plan (NEAP) 2022-2026, a National Consultation workshop was conducted on Thursday 31st October and Friday 1st November at Heritage Park Hotel.

Participating in the two-day national consultation workshop were representatives of teachers, school leaders, communities, NGOs, Education Providers, alternative education providers, provincial governments, government ministries, Solomon Islands National University, University of the South Pacific and development and donor partners.

This followed a series of internal and external consultations involving Senior Management Team, Heads of Divisions of MEHRD, as well as Education Providers, school boards, school leaders, Provincial Government and Non-Government Organisations in Honiara, Guadalcanal, Central Islands and Malaita Provinces.

The Mid-Term Review is conducted to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of the NEAP since it was commenced three years ago.

The review focusses on evaluating progress in achieving the three intermediate goals of the NEAP and their corresponding priorities. These are:

• the achievement of equitable access to education
• improvements in the quality of education, and
• the efficient and effective management and monitoring of the education system.

Permanent Secretary Dr Franco Rodie in his remarks acknowledged and thanked the key stakeholders for their attendance in the 2-day national consultation workshops. 

He thanked them for the significant roles each stakeholder has played in the successful implementation of the NEAP in the past three years (2022-2024).

“Your contribution to the NEAP review has been critical because the tok stories you shared provided significant professional experience, knowledge and understanding of how effective and efficient the NEAP has been implemented.

“You have also offered insight and recommendations as to how things could be improved and progressed further,” Dr Rodie stated.

From the national consultations, it was highlighted that some of the significant achievements of the NEAP have been the implementation of the Education Act 2023, teacher management and teachers learning, proper coordination between MEHRD, Education Providers and the schools recognising the challenges as well as improvements that could be achieved.

The NEAP 2022 – 2026 is the second education sector plan designed to support the Education Strategic Framework (ESF) for the period 2016 – 2030 that sets the policy directions and key strategies for education reform and development in our country. 

The NEAP and ESF inform the development of MEHRD’s Annual Work Plans as well as the Provincial Education Coordination Plans, and whole School Development Plans.

MEHRD and SITESA, and a range of partners and stakeholders contribute and collaborate on the NEAP’s implementation. These partners include schools, education providers, provincial governments, donor partners, non-state actors, and schools’ communities.

The implementation of the NEAP 2022-26 is in its third year.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Rodie, acknowledged the UNICEF for funding support to successfully conduct the internal and external NEAP mid-term review and the national consultation workshop.