Tuvalu

Reading Time: 2 min read

Tuvalu is a small state of the Commonwealth and is composed of nine small coral islands scattered in a chain lying approximately northwest to southeast over some 420 miles (676 km). It has a population of just over 11,300 (World Bank, 2022)

COL plays an important role in supporting Tuvalu’s 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. Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu 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
13.4%		10.7%
Female (2016)		Male (2016)

Completion rate, lower secondary education for the school year ending in 2020¹
94.8%		77.2%
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
67.6%		41.9%
Female (2021)		Male (2021)

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

Highlights

- 93 teachers from Tuvalu trained to provide effective learner support in open and distance learning (ODL) contexts.
- Development of online learning resources for teachers: ODL Course Catalogue, National OER Collection Site, and Online TVET Toolkit.
- Building the capacity of TVET practitioners through national coordinators.
- Data resilience of the education system responding to natural disasters.

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 partners in Tuvalu include:

Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development
USP Tuvalu Campus

Key Contacts

Focal Point

Mr Fineaso Tehulu
Director of Education
Education Department (EdDep)
Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD)

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

Economic Activity – Labour Forces Participation (2016)¹
41.3%		72.8
Female, Ages 15-64		Male, Ages 15-64

Political Decision Making (2019)¹
6.3%
Share of seats held by women in national parliament

Life expectancy
n/a		n/a
Female		Male

1. COL gender country profile October 2023

72	80
Individuals using the internet (%)¹	Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹

4.0	0
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹	Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹




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

Tuvalu

Highlights

Partners

Key Contacts

Focal Point

More Information

News

Reports

Publications and Resources

Country Data Sources