Solomon Islands

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The Solomon Islands is a small state of the Commonwealth consisting of nearly 1,000 islands with a population of about 725,000 (World Bank, 2022).

COL plays an important role in supporting Solomon Islands’ education and training systems, particularly in the areas of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and data resilience through the Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning (ODFL) in the Pacific. The Solomon Islands is also an active member of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) network and benefits from programmes offered through COL’s regional centre, the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD). In addition, learners from the Solomon Islands participate in COL’s free open online courses and make use of a wide range of openly available learning resources and capacity-building initiatives.

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-64 years old¹
13.6%		15.7%
Female (2013)		Male (2013)

Completion rate, lower secondary education¹
n/a		n/a
Female		Male

Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education¹
n/a		n/a
Female		Male

Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications in secondary education¹
88.7%		88%
Female (2018)		Male (2018)

1. UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Centre, retrieved in May 2023

Highlights

400+ teachers trained to provide effective learner support in ODL contexts.
Partnership with the Don Bosco Rural Training Centre to build the capacity of TVET practitioners.
200 persons with disabilities trained in computer skills and literacy in partnership with Blind and Visually Impaired People of the Solomon Islands.
Development of online learning resources for teachers: ODL Course Catalogue, National OER Collection Site, and Online TVET Toolkit.

Partners

Partnerships are fundamental to COL’s work. Strategic partnerships allow COL to broaden its reach and engage at global, regional and national levels, while implementation partners support COL’s work in communities and institutions across Commonwealth Member States. Partners include multilateral organisations, regional bodies, national governments, government agencies, foundations, civil society organisations, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions and the private sector. COL partnerships assist in improving and extending teaching and learning services to people in the developing Commonwealth.

COL’s partners in Solomon Islands include:

Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development
Blind and Visually Impaired People of the Solomon Islands
Coalition for Education Solomon Islands
Don Bosco Rural Training Centre
Solomon Islands National Council for Women
Solomon Islands National University
Tekelea Training Centre
USP Solomon Islands Campus

Key Contacts

Focal Point

Dr Patricia Rodie
Dean, Faculty of Education and Humanities
Solomon Islands National University

Literacy rate
n/a		n/a
Female, Adult (15+)		Male, Adult (15+)

Economic Activity – Labour Forces Participation (2013)¹
84.8%		88.7%
Female, Ages 15-64		Male, Ages 15-64

Political Decision Making (2019)¹
8%
Share of seats held by women in national parliament

Life expectancy (2023)¹
67.9		62.9
Female		Male

1. COL gender country profile October 2023

36	67
Individuals using the internet (%)¹	Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹

0.14	18
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹	Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹




1. International Telecommunication Union (ITU), retrieved in May 2023.

Solomon Islands

Highlights

Partners

Key Contacts

Focal Point

More Information

News

Reports

Publications and Resources

Country Data Sources