Inclusive access to quality education - A priority for the Pacific

Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, 10 February 2025 – Inclusive education is top of the agenda this week as representatives from 15 Pacific Island countries’ education systems join a four-day Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Paiaudaud*. The meeting brings the participants together to take stock, share learnings and plan the next steps on their commitment to inclusive learning for all children.

“Inclusive education continues to be a regional priority for our Pacific Ministers of Education who committed at the Conference of Pacific Education Ministers 2023 to ensuring that education is available to all learners irrespective of their challenges,” said Coordinator at the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) Facilitating Unit, Filipe Jitoko.

In 2022, UNICEF, under guidance from the Pacific Inclusive Education Taskforce, produced the first Pacific Regional Review on Inclusive Education, which highlighted critical national efforts of the Pacific Island countries, and the actions needed to make education across the region more inclusive.

Now this week, the countries are coming together as one to support each other to create better quality learning, accessible for all children in the region, including those living with disabilities. This action will be guided by the Pacific Inclusive Education Taskforce, which is led by Ministers of Education from Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, and Solomon Islands.

“Inclusion is not a matter of placing children with disabilities in regular schools; it is about creating an educational environment where every child feels valued, supported, and able to learn alongside their peers,” said Pacific Disability Forum’s Chief Executive Officer, Sainimili Tawake. “It is about ensuring that, in a nurturing learning environment, every child, regardless of their abilities, feels empowered to use their assistive devices without fear of ridicule. It is through acceptance and understanding that we unlock the true potential within each child and individual.”

While the region has made progress on inclusive education, there are many gaps that remain posing significant challenges. For example, in Kiribati, Palau and Samoa, censuses indicate that people living with disabilities have lower rates of literacy compared with those living without disabilities. The Solomon Islands Ministry of Education has also estimated that less than two per cent of children living with disabilities are in school.

“It is unacceptable that children living with disabilities may not access the same level of education as others do,” said UNICEF Pacific’s Representative, Jonathan Veitch. “We are proud of this commitment by the region to work together as one to ensure equal access to quality learning for all children - and UNICEF is here to support the journey to translate this commitment to concrete action on the ground.”

The 15 Pacific Island Countries participating in the Paiaudaud include Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

This Paiaudaud is part of the PacREF partnership, which is funded through support from the Global Partnership for Education, Government of New Zealand, and the Asian Development Bank. 

Note to Editors

* The use of the word Paiaudaud in the naming of this meeting reflects Pohnpei as the host state. Pai means fortune and Audaud means to instil knowledge in others with wisdom. Paiaudaud is used for meetings where there will be knowledge sharing that will benefit everyone.