In legal terms, primary and secondary education are the responsibility of the local French Polynesian authorities. Post-baccalaureate and higher education fall under the authority of metropolitan French agencies, primarily the Ministère de l’Education Nationale and the Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche.
a) International regulatory and policy frameworks
Higher education in French Polynesia is under the aegis of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Membership of the Association is open to quality assurance agencies in the signatory states of the Bologna Declaration.
Education for All (EFA)
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
United Nations Literacy Decade
UNESCO’s Four Pillars of Education
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
b) Regional agreements and policy
Pacific Islands Forum Basic Education Action Plan (FBEAP)
Pacific Regional Initiatives for the Delivery of Basic Education (PRIDE) Project
Pacific Education for Sustainable Development Framework
Pacific Education Development Framework (PEDF) 2009-2015
The Pacific Plan (the Pacific Plan Task Force is managed by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General)
c) National regulations and policy
French Polynesia is legally part of metropolitan France. As such the administration of education in the territory is determined by the Education Code of the French Republic. Specific provisions of the Code relate to the delivery of education in French Polynesia and the role of the Vice-Rectorat.
d) State/District regulations and policy
None identified.
e) University policies
The Université de la Polynésie Française is a relatively small institution. However, the institution has an active research community and is growing rapidly in terms of its student population. The UPF has a particular interest in establishing itself as an international centre for research into natural resources (both terrestrial and marine), biodiversity and biotechnology, renewable energy and environmental sustainability. In 2009, the University took a leading role in the establishment of the Tahiti Fa’ahotu innovation cluster to advance the research agenda in these areas.