Students in class at the FresWota School, Vanuatu. Credit: GPE/Arlene Bax

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$6,965,483

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • System capacity
  • System transformation

Partnership Compact

Priority: Improve literacy rates in primary school, by ensuring equitable allocation and implementation of innovative resources, while fostering a holistic curriculum.

Other key documents

Coordinating agency: Australian High Commission, Vanuatu

GPE Team lead: Daisuke Kanazawa

Transforming education in Vanuatu

Vanuatu has achieved universal primary education, but enrollment in secondary education is low. The Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment 2021 revealed that 79% of year 4 students did not meet the minimum reading proficiency standard.

To help students acquire the basic competencies needed to advance through the education system, Vanuatu is working with GPE and other partners to improve literacy rates in primary school by ensuring equitable allocation and implementation of innovative resources, while fostering a holistic curriculum.

Vanuatu’s Partnership Compact details plans to affect transformative change, including improving the skills and knowledge of school leaders and teachers to lead and implement the curriculum.

Equipping classrooms with culturally appropriate literacy materials, expanding access to digital literacy resources, and encouraging families to support their child’s reading journey are expected to help boost literacy.

Better education data collection and analysis will strengthen policy planning, and better resource allocation will address inequities between genders, provinces, language groups, geographic location and learning abilities.

Result story

Vanuatu: Tackling the impact of natural disasters by building a resilient education system

  • Tropical cyclone Harold hit Vanuatu in 2020, destroying hundreds of schools and disrupting learning for thousands of students.
  • The cyclone’s widespread destruction combined with the effects of COVID-19 are greatly affecting the country’s education system.
  • With support from GPE, Vanuatu is making strides in increasing its resilience to natural disasters so that children can continue to learn during future crises.

Key data

81%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

100%

of primary teachers have the minimum required qualifications

24%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of November 21, 2024)

 
  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2024 - 2026

    Allocation: US$1,150,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: Save the Children Australia

  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2024

    Allocation: US$200,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: Save the Children Australia

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting Kolisen Blong Leftemap Edukesen (KoBLE) for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).

Learn more

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