Vanuatu

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Vanuatu, a small state of the Commonwealth consists of a chain of 13 principal and many smaller islands and has a population of almost 327,000 (World Bank, 2022).

COL plays an important role in supporting Vanuatu’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. Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu 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
10.9%		11.4%
Female (2019)		Male (2019)

Completion rate, lower secondary education for the school year ending in 2012¹
38.1%		37.3%
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
100%		100%
Female (2021)		Male (2021)

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

Highlights

479 teachers from Vanuatu trained to provide effective learner support in open and distance learning (ODL) contexts.
Partnership with Ituani Vocational Skills Centre to build the capacity of TVET practitioners.
Building data and technical resilience in response to natural disasters, including with the Ministry of Education and Training.
Development of online learning resources for teachers: ODL Course Catalogue, National OER Collection Site, and Online TVET Toolkit.
400+ youths trained on leadership and employability skills that can link to employment opportunities.

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 Vanuatu include:

Ministry of Education and Training
Ituani Vocational Skills Centre
USP Emalus Campus
V-Lab Association
Youth Challenge Vanuatu

Key Contacts

Focal Point

Marie Jonah
National Education Programmes Coordinator
Education Services Directorate
Ministry of Education & Training

Literacy rate (2021)¹
88.4%		89.8%
Female, Adult (15+)		Male, Adult (15+)

Economic Activity – Labour Forces Participation (2019)¹
55.6%		65.1%
Female, Ages 15-64		Male, Ages 15-64

Political Decision Making (2022)¹
1.9%
Share of seats held by women in national parliament

Life expectancy (2023)¹
68.3		62.7
Female		Male

1. COL gender country profile October 2023

66	78
Individuals using the internet (%)¹	Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹

0.99	290
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹	Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants¹




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

Vanuatu

Highlights

Partners

Key Contacts

Focal Point

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