Pacific Community Warns of Threat to Education Retention in the Wake of COVID-19

Many families in the Solomon Islands and across the Pacific Islands region struggle to keep their children in school due to COVID-19 related economic hardship. Credit: Catherine Wilson/IPSBy Catherine WilsonCANBERRA, Australia , Aug 27 2021 (IPS) Before the pandemic, many Pacific Island countries grappled with low numbers of students completing secondary education. Now experts in the region are concerned that the closure of schools to contain the spread of COVID-19, and the economic downturn, will lead to even more students dropping out of education early. It’s an issue that has consequences for the region’s future development, given its large youth population. The Pacific Islands is home to about 11.9 million people, more than half aged below 23 years. And 90 percent of Pacific Islanders reside in the southwest Melanesian countries of Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Solomon Islands. “Many factors affect education retention in the Pacific region, and COVID-19-related disruptions to education have added to the list. It is very possible that, in instances where families are responsible for some or all of the fees for secondary education, some students will not be able to continue their education for economic reasons,” Michelle Belisle, Director of the Educational Quality and Assessment Program (EQAP) at the regional development organization, Pacific Community, in Fiji told IPS. “The teenage years are an important time in a young person’s life and, unfor...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Development & Aid Education Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Pacific Community Climate Wire TerraViva United Nations lockdown The Pacific Community (SPC) Source Type: news