12 April 2022
The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) is currently distributing Home Learning Booklets to provincial Education Authorities as part of its COVID response.
MEHRD produced the Home Learning Booklets in 2020 with assistance from Australia and New Zealand under the Education Sector Support Program (ESSP).
Education Authorities officers are distributing the booklets to the families of early childhood, primary, and secondary school students to enable children to continue learning at home while schools throughout the country are closed due to the COVID outbreak.
As part of the Australian Government’s COVID response support to the Solomon Islands, Australia has provided sea and air transport for 841 cartons of 42,971 Home Learning Booklets to provincial Education Authorities in Western, Makira, Malaita, Choiseul, and Rebel provinces. COVID-safe measures were in place for the deliveries.
The home learning materials were distributed in 2021 to schools located in the emergency zones, namely Western, Choiseul, Honiara, Guadalcanal, and Malaita Outer Islands.
Manager of Education Authority Support at MEHRD Mr. Ali Kiko said, “This is a good opportunity for all Education Authorities to come up with initiatives and approaches to service their Provinces, including how they will distribute these materials safely to students and their families while schools are closed.”
He thanked the Provincial Governments and Provincial Education Authorities for their support in the distribution of the books to schools and communities.
Principal of Boe Secondary School in Choiseul Mr. Naphtali Pitakaji said the books are useful to support his students to continue their home learning during this indefinite school closure.
“I’m very happy to receive these Home Learning Materials which we are now using for students to learn from their homes,” he said.
MEHRD has also recommenced its learning continuity radio programs each morning from 8.30 am on SIBC. The learning programs on the radio are for all students from early childhood, primary and secondary levels.
The Oversight Committee has prepared a report for Cabinet setting out recommended preconditions and timelines for schools to open for the 2022 school year.
-MEHRD Press and SIBC News.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
