Executive Summary
Since the 2022 Transforming Education Summit (TES), the 12 Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) have moved from a phase of high-level political mobilization to one of concrete legislative and budgetary institutionalization. This report examines the regional transformation between 2022 and 2025, highlighting how a "common language" of reform and common goals have emerged around digital education, climate resilience, and teacher professionalization.
A standout leader in this period is the Solomon Islands, which executed a landmark legislative overhaul with its Education Act 2023, effectively dismantling colonial-era structures to prioritize decentralized funding and teacher accountability. While high structural vulnerability remains a challenge for the region, nations like Fiji and Papua New Guinea have shown resilience by maintaining education spending above 15% of national budgets and implementing aggressive teacher retention strategies. The path forward requires shifting from policy intent through achieving the intended effect resulting finally in measurable outcomes, supported by concessional financing that recognizes the unique Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) of the Pacific.
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| Responsible teaching: one of my year 10 students on "wig day'. |
Beyond the Summit: How the Pacific is Rewriting the Future of Education
By Dr. Albert Schram
Nelson Mandela once famously stated, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." But how do you change education itself?
In the wake of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit (TES) in New York, the nations of the Pacific have been answering that question not with rhetoric, but with reform. Admittedly, an education law, for example, is a starting point for creating a more efficient and effective education system, but due to a large implementation gap, it is in no way a guarantee that reform will actually have an impact in the classroom.
In my book review of "AI and Education in the Global South", I express my concern about the global learning crisis, which has led to learning poverty on a massive scale. At current speed of reform and progress, according to the Brookings Institution it would take more than 100 years for many countries in the Global South to catch up. In the Global South, we have assured boys and also girls attend school, but it turns out they are not learning much. At the age of 10, for example, a majority can still not learn or write, and at the age of 15 they are still about 5 years behind as compared to industralized countries. That is the reality that emerges from the data.
Now this in turn begs the question how you can run a university program starting with 18 year olds, who however have reading, manths and language skills of a 13 year old or worse? It is clear that in those circumstances only very gifted and independent learners can catch up and achieve the prorgrams graduate outcomes. In practice, universities in the global south massively moderate their grades, or grade along the curve. As a result, engineering programs in the Global South, for example, struggle demonstrating to external accreditation agencies, that their programs are equivalent. However, let's leave higher education aside for a moment, and look at primary and secondary education first.
For the 12 Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), the journey since 2022 has been a transition from aspirational "National Statements" to the hard work of legislative drafting, budgetary reallocation, and classroom-level transformation.
The Common Language of Pacific Reform
The 2022 Summit achieved a higher-than-anticipated level of engagement among PSIDS. While early projections suggested only eight nations would formulate a National Statement, eleven countries (92%) successfully produced comprehensive documents. This process created a "common language" of reform.
In the Pacific, "Digital Education" is not just a buzzword; it is a geographic necessity due to the long distances in this region of the world. 100% of reporting PSIDS included digital education in their plans—tripling the global average. Similarly, 91% addressed education financing, a direct response to the structural underfunding that has historically plagued the region.
The Solomon Islands: A Vanguard of Legislative Reform
Among the stories of progress, the Solomon Islands holds a position of prominence. For decades, the nation operated under a colonial-era 1978 Act that was ill-equipped for a modern, decentralized archipelago. In 2023, the Solomon Islands government passed the Education Act 2023 (effective January 1, 2024), representing the most comprehensive legislative reform in the region since the TES.
This Act is revolutionary for two reasons. First, it introduces a National Funding Code. In a region where remote schools often lose out to "administrative leakage" at the provincial level, this code ensures that government grants reach the schools directly. Second, it professionalizes the workforce through Mandatory Teacher Registration. Educators must now undergo a "fit and proper person" test, ensuring that quality and integrity are at the heart of the classroom.
By decentralizing management while centralizing quality standards, the Solomon Islands has provided a blueprint for other archipelagic nations struggling with remote service delivery.
Climate Resilience: Building for the Category 5 Future
For Fiji’s former Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, education reform is a matter of survival. After cyclones damaged 30% of Fiji's schools, his message at the TES was clear: "We cannot allow the education of our children to wait until the world solves the climate crisis."
Since then, Fiji and Vanuatu have integrated "Climate-Ready Schools" into their national building codes. It is no longer enough to build a school; it must be a sanctuary capable of withstanding Category 5 winds. This shift is paired with a steadfast fiscal commitment: Fiji maintains education spending at 18% of its national budget, ensuring that resilience is built into both the physical and digital infrastructure.
The Teacher Pillar: Quality, Quantity, and Dignity
No reform succeeds without the teacher. Between 2023 and 2025, the Pacific moved to address chronic teacher shortages and low morale.
Papua New Guinea took the lead in workforce expansion, funding 3,400 new teacher positions in its 2024 budget—a 5% increase. They also secured a legally binding 3% pay increase for over 70,000 teachers. It is not enough, total deficit is over 10.000 teachers.
Fiji focused on stability, regularizing 1,420 staff from temporary contracts to permanent status, providing the job security necessary to prevent "brain drain" to other sectors.
Samoa used the post-TES momentum to link teacher quality with digital literacy, ensuring that educators are prepared for the "online distance learning" required to mitigate future shocks.
The Road Ahead: Policy Recommendations
While the progress is real, the "acceleration" of actual educational results is often stalled by the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI). Pacific SIDS face the highest vulnerability scores globally. To move from policy to practice, the following recommendations are vital:
For High-Vulnerability States (Solomon Islands, Tuvalu): Maintain the pace of legislative reform while seeking faster access to concessional finance to offset climate-driven economic shocks including brain drain.
For Digital Leaders (Kiribati, Marshall Islands): Ensure that the $20 million in GPE grants for solar-powered internet are paired with lmeaningful, ocalized, indigenous curriculum development.
For the Region: Continue the PacREF standardization of teacher training, ensuring that a qualification in Fiji is recognized and respected in Vanuatu or Samoa.
Comparative Data Tables (2022–2025)
Table 1: National Spending and Legislative Milestones
| Country | Effective Spending (% of GDP/Budget) | Effects | New Legislation / Law Passed |
| Solomon Islands | 8.3% of GDP (2023) | Decentralized management transition | Education Act 2023 (Landmark Reform) |
| Fiji | ~18% of Govt. Budget | 97% net primary enrollment | Education (Amendment) Regulation 2023 |
| Papua New Guinea | 6.7% of Total Budget | 16% increase in education wage bill | General Education (Amendment) Act 2023 |
| Samoa | 6.1% of GDP (2023) | STEM project launch (2024) | Labor & Employment Relations Amendment 2023 |
| Kiribati | 16.4% of GDP (2023 est.) | ICT-based "model schools" launch | Education Sector Strategic Plan 2024–27 |
| Tuvalu | 12.8% of GDP (2023 est.) | National Child Rights Observatory | Education (Amendment) Act 2023 |
| Vanuatu | 7.6% – 10.6% of GDP | Secondary tuition fee caps | Education Regulation (Amendment) 2023 |
Notes: data compiled by Gemini 3.0 Deep Research from documents in the bibliography.
Table 2: Teacher Workforce Interventions
| Country | Key Action (2023–2025) | Effects |
| Papua New Guinea | 3% Pay Increase (Dec 2023) | Legally binding increments for 70,000+ teachers. |
| PNG Budget | Workforce Expansion (2024) | 3,400 additional positions funded. |
| Fiji | National Retention Exercise | 1,420 staff transitioned to permanent status. |
| Fiji Integrity | New Vetting Standards | Mandatory medical/police reports for all personnel. |
| Solomon Islands | Professionalization | Mandatory teacher registration & "Fit and Proper" vetting. |
Conclusions
The 2022 Transforming Education Summit (TES) was not an end point, but a catalyst after the dark COVID years when so many school closed and learning poverty increased. For nations like the Solomon Islands, TES provided the political cover to finally overhaul colonial systems. For Fiji and PNG, it reinforced the need to protect the dignity of the teacher.
The vulnerability of our small island states requires us to adapt faster and therefore be more innovative than larger nations. We have proven that the Pacific is not waiting for the world to solve the climate or education crisis. We are building the solutions ourselves.
As we look toward 2030, we must remember that education is not a static system but a living one; it can and will adapt to meet the challenges of our changing world.
Numbered Notes
Schram, A. (2022). Deliverable 3: Final Report - National Consultations and Statements for the Transforming Education Summit. UNESCO.
Solomon Islands Government. (2023). Education Act 2023. National Parliament of Solomon Islands.
Global Partnership for Education (2023). Results Report: Strengthen Capacity, Adapt and Learn.
PNG Department of Treasury. (2023). 2024 National Budget, Volume 1.
Fiji Ministry of Education. (2024). Retention Exercise and Salary Adjustment Circulars.
UNESCO (2024). Pacific SIDS making strides in strengthening education: Status of Pacific Education Report.
UNICEF (2025). Press Release: From Chalkboards to Culturally Inclusive Digital Connectivity.
Samoa Legislative Assembly. (2023). Labor and Employment Relations Amendment Act 2023.
Bibliography (APA Format)
Fiji Ministry of Finance. (2024). Fact Sheet – Education and Training. Suva, Fiji: Government of Fiji.
Global Partnership for Education (GPE). (2024). Tuvalu Partnership Compact for Education Reform. Retrieved from
Papua New Guinea Department of Treasury. (2023). 2024 National Budget, Volume 1: Economic and Development Policies. Port Moresby: Government of Papua New Guinea.
Samoa Legislative Assembly. (2023). Labor and Employment Relations Amendment Act 2023. Apia, Samoa: PacLII.
Schram, A. (2022). Deliverable 3: Final Report National Consultations and Statements for the Transforming Education Summit by the Pacific Small Islands Developing States. Paris, France: UNESCO.
Solomon Islands Government. (2023). Education Act 2023 (No. 11 of 2023). Honiara, Solomon Islands: National Parliament.
UNESCO. (2024). Pacific SIDS making strides in strengthening education: Status of Pacific Education Report. Apia, Samoa: UNESCO Office for the Pacific States.
UNICEF Pacific. (2025). From chalkboards to culturally inclusive digital connectivity in the Marshall Islands. Retrieved from
University of the South Pacific (USP). (2023). Waka Moana Learning Hub: Regional Teacher Resources. Retrieved from
World Bank. (2023). Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - Pacific Island Small States. Retrieved from World Bank DataBank.
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