Education in Nauru

Education in Nauru
Department of Education
MinisterAsterio Appi[1]
National education budget (2011–2012)
Budget3,071,608 AUD[2]
Per student1000.20–1065.42 AUDA
General details
Primary languagesNauruan and English
System typeNational
Literacy (2011)
Total96.5
Male95.7
Female97.2
Enrollment (2013)
Total3,196B
Primary1,475
Secondary964
Post secondary6C
Attainment (2011)
Secondary diploma91.2
Post-secondary diploma4.9
A The national budget for education was for 2011 and 2012. Funding figures were calculated by using the enrollment data from the 2011 and 2012 year.[3]
B Includes 751 pre-school students
C Data from 2002[4]

Education in Nauru is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 16. There are eleven schools in Nauru, including three primary schools and two secondary schools (Nauru College and Nauru Secondary School). There is an Able/Disable Centre for children with special needs.[5] Education at these schools is free. In 2011, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported that 3,026 children were enrolled at Nauru's schools.[5] The previous Minister for Education was the Hon. Charmaine Scotty, MP from 2013.[6] The current Minister is Asterio Appi.[1]

The Nauru Campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) is located in Nauru Learning Village Yaren District since 2018,[7] and was previously in Aiwo District.[8] USP began teaching remote courses in the 1970s. A local campus was established in 1987. Courses of study focus on the fields of education and business. The campus also serves the broader community through a Continuing education programme.[9]

A classroom at Nauru Secondary School after refurbishment as part of an Australian aid package to the island state.

Education in Nauru was first formalised by the work of Protestant missionaries in the early twentieth century. The first schools were established by missionary Philip Delaporte, teaching children literacy in the Nauru language. In 1923, the joint administration of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand made education compulsory and established a curriculum based in the English language.[10] Australia's AusAID funded an $11 million refurbishment of Nauru Secondary School beginning in late 2007. The project to assist in improving educational performance in Nauru was completed in 2010. Part of the project focused on enhancing Nauruan construction capacity.[11]

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI)[12] finds that Nauru is fulfilling only 83.9% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income.[13] HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration Nauru's income level, the nation is achieving 93.5% of what should be possible based on its resources (income) for primary education but only 74.2% for secondary education.[13]

  1. ^ a b "Hon. Asterio Appi, M.P." The Government of the Republic of Nauru. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  2. ^ "2011-2012 Budget: Budget Paper 1" (PDF). Republic of Nauru. p. 51. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Education Statistics". Nauru Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  4. ^ "UPS Statistics" (PDF). University of the South Pacific. 2002. p. 1.2.1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2012.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference DFAT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Hon. Charmaine Scotty, MP". The Government of the Republic of Nauru. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  7. ^ "USP Nauru." University of the South Pacific. Retrieved on September 29, 2018. "We will soon be moving to our spectacular new, state-of-the-art campus at the Learning Village in Yaren District."
  8. ^ "Nauru Campus." University of the South Pacific. March 17, 2011. Retrieved on September 29, 2018. "It is currently located in the Aiwo District."
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference urlUSP-Nauru was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ELH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference urlNauru Secondary School was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Nauru - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 26 March 2022.