Weno, Chuuk, Federated States of
Micronesia—February 1, 2013—The Chuuk Advisory Group on Education held its
first set of meetings in Weno, Chuuk this week (January 28th through
February 1st). The meetings
mark a new phase in the effort by Chuuk leaders to reform education in Chuuk
State with the assistance of its National Government and United States
partners. The creation of the Advisory
Group was established at the recent High Level meetings held during the first
week of November 2012 with representatives and staff from the FSM National
Government, the U.S. Government and the Chuuk State Government.
Members
of the advisory Group include three very eminent friends of Chuuk State,
including Thomas Bussanich, the Director of the Division of Budget and Grants
Management in the Office of Insular Affairs within the United States Department
of Interior; Patrick Tellei, the President of the Palau Community College; and
Francis X. Hezel, a Jesuit Priest and the founder of the Micronesian Seminar.
The purpose of the Advisory Group is to serve
these three primary partners in enhancing and accelerating the implementation
of the education reform in Chuuk. Within
this broad scope, the Advisory Group is intended to serve as an adjunct to the
Chuuk Board of Education, to provide progress monitoring and guidance on the
Chuuk Reform, to recommend modifications and additions to the reform program and
to report to all relevant parties on the progress of the reform.
During their stay in Weno, the Advisory Group met
with the Governor, the Chuuk Legislature, the Board of Education and the
Director of Education and staff on multiple occasions. During those meetings, Tom Bussanich repeatedly
indicated that “their primary and overriding goals for education in Chuuk are
that students have safe and sanitary living environments, that classrooms must
have qualified teachers, that classrooms have the necessary school supplies
that principals, teachers and students be present for class, and that learning
must take place.”
In their meetings, the Advisory Group confirmed
their support for the Ten High Level Commitments established at the High Level
Event in November and stressed that, within the scope of these commitments,
they would like to see reform efforts focus on: the development of a personnel contract
system for teachers, principals, and others as deemed appropriate to ensure the attendance and performance of education
personnel and students; the support of
the Chuuk High School Pilot Project aimed at establishing a model for other
High School reform in the future; the immediate implementation of the Chuuk State School Facility Repair and
Construction Master Plan in order to begin a stepped improvement of school
facilities in Chuuk; the immediate implantation of the primary and secondary school
consolidation plans; and the development of a new procurement
policy/process/distribution system that will improve the distribution of
supplies to all schools.
Father Fran Hezel indicated that “overriding all
of these specific plans and proposals is a desire for Chuuk communities to take
ownership of both the reform and the schools in their communities.” Advisory Group member Patrick added that “for
this entire process to work, all parties to the reform must be willing to look
outside the box and to find examples of past and current successes and to
multiply upon them where possible.”
The Advisory Group will meet again in early May
to continue to assist the Board of Education and the Department of Education in
its efforts to successfully reform Chuuk’s education system.
The Group is scheduled to
meet every quarter to move this effort forward.
According to Tom Bussanich, “what we want to see are not quick fixes,
but strong foundational improvements in Chuuk’s Educational system that will
continue long after the Advisory Group disappears.”
Note: This piece was received from Mr. Ryan Edgar, Eduction Specialist/Grant Manager, Office Of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
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