School in Vanuatu

Kindergarten generally serves children aged 3–6 through play-based learning and preparation for school. Primary education covers Years 1–6. Secondary education covers Junior Secondary Years 7–10 and Senior Secondary Years 11–14 under the Education Act, although statistical reports may group Year 11 and above differently. Boarding schools, vocational secondary provision, special-needs schools and international or private schools form part of the wider school landscape where they provide recognized schooling. Day care for children aged 0–3 belongs outside school unless it has a formal preschool function. The 2024 Vanuatu Education Management Information System recorded 721 ECCE schools, 461 primary schools and 146 secondary schools. It recorded 15,768 ECCE learners, 56,104 primary learners, 24,825 Junior Secondary learners and 7,846 Senior Secondary learners. Of the schools counted, 1,200 were rural and 128 were urban. The figures included 1,064 registered and 264 non-registered schools, but some registration records lacked a 2024 census update, so registration status requires careful interpretation. The reported authority model included 674 government schools, 305 church government-assisted schools, 19 church non-assisted schools and 330 private schools. The Ministry of Education and Training, usually called MoET, sets national direction and administers the school system. Provincial Education Officers and Provincial Education Boards handle provincial education matters, including government-school oversight. An Education Authority oversees a non-government school. Principals, school councils and school community associations manage many day-to-day matters. The Teaching Service Commission registers and licenses teachers. School operation requires registration and an annual review by the Director General. Registration depends on an approved curriculum, qualified staff, suitable facilities and learning materials, prescribed school days and weekly teaching hours, and compliance with the Education Act, regulations and guidelines. A child normally enters Year 1 at age six or after reaching the sixth birthday by 31 May. Entry to Year 7 normally occurs before age twelve, but a Provincial Education Board or Education Authority may provide an exception. The law places a duty on parents for children aged six to under fourteen that covers kindergarten and school attendance. Admission is handled at school or education-authority level. No nationwide German-style catchment procedure is evidenced. Schools may have limited places or their own assessment and transition arrangements. Admission may not discriminate on grounds such as gender, religion, nationality, race, language or disability. English and French are the principal languages of education. Primary schools generally teach in one of these languages, while secondary schools continue the first instructional language and begin the other. The Minister may authorize specified subjects in a vernacular language or Bislama. In 2024, primary schools were reported as 313 English-medium and 148 French-medium; secondary schools were 109 English-medium and 37 French-medium. ECCE provision also included vernacular and Bislama instruction. A dual-medium school may therefore follow a different language pattern from a single-medium school. The Vanuatu National Curriculum provides the national framework from preschool through the secondary years. It is supported by syllabuses and teaching materials and is being updated through reforms whose implementation is ongoing. The National Curriculum and Assessment Board determines assessment and examination types, content and procedures, and oversees nationally recognized certificates and qualifications. Assessment can include classroom work, formative assessment, the Vanuatu Standardized Test of Achievement (VANSTA) in primary education, the Year 10 National Examination and senior-secondary national or external examinations. English-medium students commonly follow Year 12 and optional Year 13 certificate pathways, while French-medium students may follow Year 13 or Year 14 pathways, including DAEU. The exact offer depends on the school and instructional language. The fee-subsidy and free-fee policy targets Years 1–10, and government grants support compliant schools. Parents and communities may nevertheless face approved contributions, fundraising, uniforms, transport or other school-related expenses. The Education Act allows prescribed fee ranges, fee waivers where a family cannot pay and payment arrangements before exclusion. Non-government schools without government funding may fall outside the ordinary fee cap, and uniform charges may be permitted under regulation. Vanuatu has no evidenced universal entitlement to free school meals. Boarding is legally recognized, but meals and other boarding services vary by school. School terms, days and weekly teaching hours are prescribed. Schools also manage records, health and hygiene, physical education, extracurricular activities and, where applicable, boarding and student care. No national entitlement to school transport is evidenced. Principals have duties relating to student and staff wellbeing, counselling, advice to parents and follow-up when a school-aged child is not attending. A suspension may last up to two weeks and requires investigation and a hearing. Expulsion also requires investigation and a hearing, with an appeal to the Director General. Medical exclusion and reinstatement follow separate rules. The Inclusive Education and Training Policy 2025–2030 addresses disability access, trained teachers and accessible learning environments. The Child Safeguarding Policy requires a safe and inclusive environment, positive discipline and reporting of abuse. Primary access is broader than secondary access: the 2024 net enrolment rate was 85.9% for primary education, 57.4% for secondary education and 38.8% for ECCE. Moving from ECCE to Year 1, from primary to Junior Secondary and from Year 10 to senior secondary depends on the relevant assessment, available places and the receiving school's arrangements. Completion of school may lead directly to higher education or training, but those tertiary and vocational pathways are separate education areas.