The Education Ministry has plans to spearhead research initiatives in key areas crucial to the advancement of the sector.

Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca says the Ministry will prioritize exploring the integration of artificial intelligence in schools and teacher retention.

Kuruleca says discussions are underway with Pacific Island Heads of Education to conduct research with the support of global partners like the World Bank.

She adds that currently, the Education Ministry depends on the policy planning unit and other means for research.

“Those students, graduate students studying at FNU and USP, do apply to us for research approval. Part of giving that approval is that copies of their research are submitted back to the ministry for our information and also for us to take some learnings that we can then use to build policies.”

Kuruleca emphasizes the need for a comprehensive research framework to address the evolving needs of the education sector effectively.

“So AI is one of them, social issues, dropouts, how do we ensure that we retain children in schools, talking about teacher retention and retention strategies or retention of the civil service in general, that was another topic.”

Through targeted research interventions, the Ministry seeks to cultivate a stable and motivated teaching workforce essential for sustaining quality education.