Early educational offerings were conducted by the London Missionary Society. In the post-war era, the New Zealand educational administration took an active part in the administration of schools. The current public school system is administered as a whole but is divided into three regions: Main Island of Raratonga, Northern group and Southern group.
The education system of the Cook Islands consists of the following five stages: (i) Early Childhood Education for children younger than school age; (ii) Primary Education offered in Years 1- 6 of school; (iii) Secondary education offered in years 7 to 13 of school; (iv) Tertiary Education (or Vocational Training); and (v) Community Education.
The Cook Islands education system is modelled on that of New Zealand. In 2002, the Cook Islands made the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) its standard qualification. This was done in order to maintain alignment with New Zealand, which adopted the NCEA at the same time.
Education is free and compulsory for students from the age of 5 until 16.
Education in the Cook Islands faces a number of challenges. Many school facilities do not meet a minimum standard, and teaching resources are often in short supply. There are concerns regarding the quality of the education, teacher shortages and student participation rates, particularly in relation to the secondary sector. In addition, the isolation of the outer islands means that part of the Cook Island population has severely reduced access to education services.
a) School education
Pre-Primary Level
The government demonstrates its continuing commitment to pre-primary education by the annual allocation of approximately 7% of its total education budget to this area. In 2010, there were 24 Early Childhood Education Centres in the Cook Islands. These are predominantly attached to Primary and Area Schools. Early childhood education is provided to children from 3 ½ years till school enrolment.
Primary Level
Primary education covers grades 1-5, with a strong emphasis on mathematics, science and agriculture. The use of Maori language is encouraged. In 2010, there were 13 Primary Schools and 12 Area Schools. The latter provide education from early childhood through to secondary level.
Secondary Level
The second five years (forms 1-5) constitute secondary school and are based on the New Zealand syllabus and curriculum. In 2010, there were 4 Secondary Schools, in addition to the 12 Area Schools providing secondary school education. Studies include commercial studies, environmental studies, social science, health, and Maori culture and heritage and specific technical courses. Students may elect to do two additional years of secondary education as preparation for tertiary entry. Within these schools students are encouraged to use Maori as a complement to the English language upon which the New Zealand syllabus is based.
Non-Government Schools
Non-government schools are a relatively small component of the Cook Island education system. In 2010, there were five non-government schools on the main island of Rarotonga. These were: a Catholic primary school, a Catholic secondary school, a non-sectarian primary school, an Assembly of God school (catering for students from pre-school to Year 13) and an Adventist College (for students from pre-school to Year 10). There were also a private early childhood centre on the island and a Creative Centre. In addition, there was a single private Adventist school on the Island of Aitutaki.
The Cook Islands Government makes no distinction between private and government schools in terms of funding.
b) Vocational education and training (VET)
The Cook Islands have a number of institutions offering post-secondary education.
The Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre (HTTC) has a number of programs to equip trainees for the hospitality and tourism industry. The HTTC offers qualifications in food preparation, culinary art, travel, tourism, beverage service, front office and reception, customer care skills, housekeeping and cooking. In addition to daytime courses, the HTTC offers night courses and courses for students from the outer islands. Qualifications granted by the CTTC are recognised by the New Zealand Qualifications Agency (NZQA).
The Cook Islands Trades Training Centre (CTTC) offers a wide range of trade courses, including programs in the electrical trades, small appliance repair, telecommunications, automotive repair, carpentry and drain-laying. The CTTC offers night courses, foundation courses and eleven-week short courses for students from the outer islands. There are also trades courses for second chance learners and members of the community. Qualifications granted by the CTTC are recognised by the NZQA and are offered to Trade Qualification (Level 4).
Training in areas such as community-based health, first aid and first aid instructors training is available from the Cook Islands Red Cross.
The Cook Islands Sports Academy (CISA) provides a sports-based training programme. The CISA is accredited to teach the New Zealand National Certificate in Sport to Level 3. Training provided at the CISA is targeted at youngsters between the ages of 16–20 who aim for a semi-professional career in rugby league or rugby union.
The Rarotonga Sports Academy delivers a trades-based programme for youth at risk (Te Uki Tumanava).
The Cook Islands Maritime Training Centre offers training in sea safety and a boat master qualification for the operators and crew of sea-going vessels.
The Cook Island Nursing School is responsible for in-country training of nurses. The School offers a three year course that prepares students for nursing registration. The Nursing School hopes to deliver a Bachelor in Nursing degree from 2011.
The Cook Island Teachers Training College closed in 2008 due to the surplus of primary school teachers.
c) Higher education
Pre-Tertiary and Tertiary Education
TheUniversity of the South Pacific (USP) has a campus on the main island of Rarotonga. Although the 2006 upgrade to the USPNet has broadened the range of technologies in use, the Campus is faced with declining demand due to demographic contraction.
Overview of Distance Education
Distance education in the Cook Islands dates back to the 1970s. The Cook Islands were one of the founder-members of the USP consortium. The original USP Cook Islands Extension Centre was established in 1975, when it was initially housed in the Public Health Building in Tupapa on Rarotonga. At the time, the Centre was linked to the USP campus in Fiji using the PEACESAT satellite network. The USP Centre is now a full campus.
The Correspondence School (TCS) in Wellington, New Zealand, provides distance courses in a range of subjects to secondary students in the Cook Islands. Secondary students in the outer islands have been taking such courses since the late 1990s. In recent years, distance courses have also been offered to senior secondary students on Rarotonga as a means of expanding their subject options.
New Zealand institutions (including the Open Polytechnic and the UNITEC Institute of Technology) provide in-country training using DE. NZAid has funded a wide range of vocational, trade, professional and second-chance training through correspondence. In 2004–2006, NZAid trained 1488 individuals as part of 68 separate projects. New Zealand institutions (including the Open Polytechnic and the UNITEC Institute of Technology) provide in-country training using DE. NZAid has funded a wide range of vocational, trade, professional and second-chance training through correspondence. In 2004–2006, NZAid trained 1488 individuals as part of 68 separate projects.
The current USP Campus in the Cook Islands was opened in 1979. At present, USP students on Rarotonga have access to the full range of distance education courses provided by the University. The 2006 USPNet upgrade as greatly enhanced the speed and reliability of Internet connections, including audiovisual links. These improvements have allowed the Cook Island Campus to broaden the range of programs offered in the blended mode and the have increased the quality of existing distance education programs. In 2008, USP enrolments in the Cook Islands were 87 EFTS.
The ITC division within the Ministry of Education is currently trialing a distance education online delivery method called Te Kura Uira. We have tutors based in Rarotonga and Aitutaki who have online classes for schools in Rakahanga, Nassau and Mitiaro. Tutors offer classes via internet using video and audio conferencing, shared whiteboards and online management systems.
Administration and Finance
Education is administrated by the Ministry of Education with the Ministry responsible for policy and the Secretary of Education responsible for implementation and operational.
Cook Island citizens hold New Zealand citizenship with unrestricted access to work, study, reside and draw social benefits in New Zealand.
Higher Education Reforms
Reform of higher education provision in the Cook Islands is dependent on the direction of policy decisions made elsewhere, primarily in New Zealand and Fiji (the home of the USP).
Future Direction of Tertiary Education
The USP continues to expand its range of offerings at the Cook Island Campus. New courses include a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Sector Management, an accelerated studies program for the Ministry of Education, a Certificate in Agriculture program for four outer islands and training in diplomacy and international affairs for staff of the Cook Island Government. The Campus continues to expand with a new classroom and computing space to be completed this year. These steps are indication of the continued expansion of the USP’s activities in the country.
Information and Communications Technology Initiatives
a) Information society strategy
Increasing access to the Internet has changed the way in which secondary students in the outer islands can participate in distance education. Completed student work was once posted back to the Correspondence School in Wellington. Now, student work is scanned onto CD and sent to Rarotonga for emailing direct to teachers at the School. Marks and teachers’ comments are now returned by email to students. These simple steps have greatly reduced turn-around times, allowing students to derive increased benefit from their teachers’ comments. In addition, students in outer island schools can now make use of school email facilities to communicate by email with their teachers in New Zealand. Although email access is something that is taken for granted in the developed world, in the outer islands this is radical step forward.
b) Major e-learning initiatives
Although the Cook Islands are part of the OLPS initiative, the progress of the project in the country has been uneven. In 2008, 70 XO laptops were sent by the Pacific Islands Secretariat in New Caledonia to the Cook Islands for distribution to Mitiaro school students as part of a pilot project. The distribution was put on hold pending a cost-benefit analysis. In mid-2009, the Ministry of Education was asked to return the machines. At the end of the same year, the laptops were finally distributed to students at Mitiaro High School. During 2010, the laptops were used by students in a range of learning activities. The initial pilot project seems to have been a success, although subsequent events are unknown.
c) Benchmarking e-learning
None identified.
d) Support for OER
The Cook Islands are a member of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC), which is a Commonwealth of Learning (COL) initiative focused on the development of OER for world-wide use in post-secondary education.
e) Government entities
Association of Cook Islands Tertiary Institutes (ACITI)
Department of National Human Resource Development (DNHRD)
Ministry of Education
f) Associations and networks
Pacific Regional Initiatives for the Delivery of Basic Education (PRIDE)
Pacific Association for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (PATVET)
g) Distance education journals
None identified.
Interesting Distance Education Initiatives
The EduNet project was launched in 2003. Funded by the European Union, the aim of the project was to connect Cook Islands schools through a wide-area Intranet. The new Intranet would run on a server managed by the Ministry of Education, and provide schools with access to curriculum-related materials. The project was designed to assist schools to overcome the constraints imposed by the limited telecommunications infrastructure in the Cooks Islands at the time. Although EduNet was conceived with a great deal of enthusiasm, the results have been disappointing. The management of the program was in the hands of technical experts from the Ministry, rather than educators with an interest in e-learning. The result was that EduNet quickly became focused on more mundane (but still worthy) goals, such as improving the efficiency and effectiveness in school administration and communication. EduNet became an ICT project rather than a visionary attempt to provide e-learning in the Cooks Islands. In retrospect, this development is not altogether surprising. Effective e-learning requires very significant investments of time by trained personnel and specialised technical resources. These resources were simply not available in the Cook Island at the time.