NZ and EU commit to Solomons' education

New Zealand, the European Union and the Solomon Islands have signed a Letter of Intent to work in partnership to implement the Solomon Islands' Education Strategic Plan.

The signing took place today in Honiara at a ceremony involving , the EU's Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielson, New Zealand's Aid Minister, Marian Hobbs, Solomon Islands' Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Snyder Rini, and Solomon Islands’ Minister of National Reform and Planning, Nollen Leni.

New Zealand is committing NZ$11 million, and the EU 5 million Euros in 2004 to implement the plan under SI government management.

Among the initiatives the funds will support are: national teacher training, curriculum review and reform and the infrastructure to store national school materials.

The Commissioner and Minister Hobbs agreed that it was "important to help the Solomon Islands Government address underlying social issues hampering economic development, such as a lack of basic education."

"A lack of basic education is a root cause of poverty, and today less than 40 percent of children complete primary school in the Solomons," Marian Hobbs said.

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