The active participation and commitment of all stakeholders, from government, principals, teachers, parents and the community, is needed for the growth and advancement of education in the Cook Islands, says the Minister for Education.

Minister Vaine “Mac” Mokoroa reiterated this message as the Maraurau o te Pa Api’i/Ministry of Education launched its Education Masterplan 2024-2034 last month marking a new era of educational reform in the Cook Islands.

According to the Ministry, the Masterplan is being designed upon the foundations laid by the previous Education Masterplan 2008-2023 while introducing bold new initiatives to address the evolving needs of the Cook Islands learners.

However, Mokoroa said this journey cannot be undertaken by the Ministry alone.

“It requires the active participation and commitment of all stakeholders – from government to principals and teachers, to parents and the wider community. Each and every one of us must take responsibility for the growth and advancement of education in the Cook Islands,” he said.

Secretary of Education Owen Lewis acknowledged “essentially, we’ve got some problems in education, we’re not going to hide that”.

Lewis said that a lot of what’s in the new Masterplan is to address “some of those concerns that are legitimate with the public”.

However, he also expressed that the Ministry can’t do this on their own, adding that education starts in the home and continues from there.

Lewis said the public could help by getting their children to read at home, “starting to educate or teach their children at home and not leave it to the school system and that’s where it’s gone wrong too…”

There have been a lot of changes since the last Education Masterplan 2008-2023, he added.

The previous Masterplan focused on the NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement), but now they are making it broader and it would begin at Early Childhood Level.

Lewis explained that in a decade’s time, the Early Childhood Level will be at the NCEA level, “so there is a need to make sure right from the word go they’re going to be prepared. That’s the main focus”.

Teachers

According to Lewis, education is simple, “good teacher, good learning”.

“So, we have to focus a lot of our resources in building the capacity and capability of our teachers.”

Recruiting teachers “is an impossible task”, said Lewis, adding “we have to build our own”.

“If we are going to get some expatriates, we’ve got to get people who are going to serve us right from the word go,” he said.

“We’re not going to bring in expatriates that we have to train and then they go … that’s what’s really happening.”

Lewis said the government also needed to help as the Ministry cannot compete with a teacher’s salary in New Zealand.

“We can’t compete, $35,000 isn’t going to do it and we already offer housing incentives giving them a little bit of a top up and building inequities,” he said.

Lewis stated that a Cook Islands teacher earns $35,000, whereas a New Zealand teacher, due to various top-ups, earns roughly $55,000, indicating an immediate disparity and questioning whether it is fair for the Cook Islander.

“Probably not, but do we have to do it? Yes, we do because we have to recruit. So, there is no one answer here.

The Ministry believes that if it trains and invests in local young people who want to be teachers, “then we are in a much better position”.

However, that will not solve the immediate issue and they will still have to recruit.

Lewis said ideally the Ministry would be offering $70,000 salaries, however that would take time too.

Tereora College

Lewis refuted claims of poor results at Tereora College, the country’s national college.

He said there were some serious issues in every primary school starting from year four, and they are trying to fix the problem.

Lewis added in Year 11 when the students sit exams “their exams to date are not that bad”.

He says Tereora College is judged every year and they’ve found ways to achieve given the sort of results from the primary school tests.

“So, all this negative feedback on Tereora is unfound and unfair,” Lewis said.

“We know this is not too dissimilar from New Zealand, that's what New Zealand is going through … our achievement is not too bad.”

The Education Masterplan 2024-2034 is structured around three strategic pillars:

·         Learning and Educational Excellence: Focusing on the delivery of educational services, ensuring that all learners have access to quality teaching, culturally responsive curriculum, and learning environments that foster their holistic development.

·         Corporate and Operational Excellence: Recognising that a robust education system requires strong organisational foundations, dedicated to enhancing the Ministry of Education’s operational efficiency, financial management, and human resources. It also addresses the critical need for resilient infrastructure, technological integration, and sustainability in our educational facilities.

·         Policy Development and Innovation: To remain at the forefront of educational progress, this pillar emphasises the development of evidence-based policies, the integration of cutting-edge educational trends and technologies, and the cultivation of a culture of continuous improvement. It also underscores the importance of transparent communication and stakeholder engagement in shaping educational outcomes.