Forum focuses on partnership in Pacific education

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu leaves for Tonga today to attend the Pacific Islands Forum Education Ministers' meeting.

Mrs te Heuheu, who is attending on behalf of Education Minister Anne Tolley, said New Zealand was committed to a regional policy framework that set strategic directions on priorities for regional education development.

‘We also support a strengthened action plan as a critical regional framework for improving access to, and quality of, basic education in the Pacific.

‘New Zealand is willing to work with other development partners to determine appropriate regional initiatives to address education priorities identified in the review called for by Ministers when they last met in 2007.'

Mrs te Heuheu said that New Zealand had always taken pride in being a good regional neighbour. The forum's focus on partnership in Pacific education was a perfect fit.

‘We'll debate the future of the Pacific regional education initiatives, project funding and a review of the forum's basic education action plan,' she said.

‘We will strengthen existing bonds and create a stronger profile for New Zealand in the Pacific.'

The 16 member governments of the Pacific Forum have been invited. They are: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.