Good on you Tom .. seemingly a most worthwhile initiative by everyone who is involved.
Might one suggest that an emphasis on literacy and numeracy, for all age-groups, might be especially helpful? For example: (Page 22) “While Solomon Islands invests significant amounts in education, the outcomes of this investment are not meeting expectations. Solomon Islands annually allocates up to 25 percent of the Government budget to Education, reflecting good international practice. This allocation is supplemented by significant donor flows. However, as illustrated by low functional literacy rates, below-satisfactory test results, and the skills shortage challenging employers, this investment does not lead to the outcomes expected for all Solomon Islanders.” (And page 23) Reported literacy versus functional literacy “Using data derived from self-reporting (such as that in census data) as a basis for calculating literacy rates is widely acknowledged as flawed. With answers given by the heads of households on behalf of other members of the family, it represents household opinion and is a very inaccurate proxy for true functional literacy. For example, while the Solomon Islands Census 2009 estimates a literacy rate of 84.1 percent, the results of survey work to test functional literacy in four provinces of the Solomon Islands (COESI/ASPBAE 2007 and 2010) indicate that functional literacy rates of respondents ranged from 7 percent to 33.9 percent of respondents in each of the four provinces. A similar report commissioned by AusAID in Vanuatu found a 33 percent literacy rate, contrasting starkly with the rate of 87 percent derived from 2009 census” Ref: https://olc.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/WB001%20BKL%20Solomon%20Skills_v3_0.pdf Cheers, Stephen Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10 From: Tom Worthington<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, 25 November 2018 8:50 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [LINK] Solomon Islands Technology for Development Challenge The Australian Government is paying for a fibre optic cable to the Solomon Islands. So the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has asked for ideas how this could help young people in the Solomon Islands with skills and education. The winning idea in the Solomon Islands Technology for Development Challenge will receive up to $250,000 AUD for implementation, as part of Australia’s Cyber Cooperation Program. https://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/themes/cyber-affairs/Pages/technology-for-development-challenge.aspx I have entered the Challenge with "Micro-credentials by Mobile Phone". This proposes m-Learning via Smart Phones, providing a vocational relevant credential, within months, rather than taking years. https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2018/11/micro-credentials-by-mobile-phone-for.html -- Tom Worthington, MEd FHEA FACS CP http://www.tomw.net.au +61(0)419496150 TomW Communications Pty Ltd. PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia Liability limited by a scheme approved under Prof. Standards Legislation Honorary Senior Lecturer, Computer Science, Australian National University https://cecs.anu.edu.au/research/profile/tom-worthington _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
