Area	total: 21 sq km (8 sq miles) land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Capital (2006- Wikipedia)	Nauru has no capital; government offices are in Yaren district
Largest city	Yaren (4,600)
Other large cities	Aiwo, Denigomodu, Uaboe, Anabar, Ijuw, Meneng
Climate	tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in centre.
Time Difference	UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

 

Government type	republic
Head of State	Head of State and Head of Government: President HE The Hon Marcus Stephen
Independence	31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
Constitution	29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968
Legal system	acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage	20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Administrative divisions	14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

 

Telephones - main lines in use (2008)	1,800
Telephones - mobile cellular (2002)	1,500
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	N/A
Broadband Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants	N/A
Telephone system	general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities domestic: NA satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
International dialling code	+674
Internet domain	.nr
Internet hosts (2010)	4,158
Internet users (2002)	300
Internet users per 100 inhabitants (2001)	2.99
Computers per 100 inhabitants	N/A
TV sets per 100 people	N/A

Nauru was originally settled by the Polynesians and Micronesians at least 3,000 years ago, and they eventually formed 12 distinct clans. The first European to visit the island was a British whaler, who was soon followed by other whalers needing to replenish supplies. This contact eventually led to the spread of firearms and created much instability among the clans. In the clan war of 1878-88, around 500 of the island’s 1400 population perished. The Germans who had significant local involvement in the nearby Marshall Islands Protectorate annexed Nauru to become part of this protectorate and removed all firearms from the clans. The Germans, in combination with a British company, began mining phosphate at the start of the 20^th century. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, Australian troops captured and occupied the island, which was later heavily shelled by a German warship, destroying much of the infrastructure of the time. In World War II, the Japanese captured the island and deported many of the able-bodied population to work as labourers in the Chuuk islands. Nearly half the 1200 unfortunates perished prior to being repatriated by the Australians at the end of the war.

The post-war period is characterized by a heavy regime of mining, overseen by Australian interests. The nation was granted independence in 1967 and took ownership of the mining operation. In 1987, Nauru made a case against Australia in the international Court of Justice for earlier damage due to phosphate mining. The case was settled out of court for $107 million dollars (Australian) and an ongoing $2.5 million dollar stipend to fund environmental rehabilitation. During the 1990’s, in an effort to raise funds, Nauru became a tax haven and an unregulated banking centre and, as a result, became a focus for money laundering before international pressure caused this arrangement to cease.

From 2002-2008, the Australian Government paid Nauru substantial amounts of money to allow the establishment of a controversial refugee detention centre to process refugees arriving by boat at Australian shores.

The education system in Nauru is generally based on the British model with students commencing school at age 5. The system is based upon a 3-6-4 model and attendance is compulsory between the ages of five and sixteen. The Roman Catholic Church has a significant involvement in providing education and in the operation of schools.

The education system in Nauru is based on three years of pre-school (ages 4–6 years), six years of primary education (ages 7-12 years) and four years of secondary education (ages 13–16 years). Instruction is officially in English, although in practice, Nauruan is the language of the classroom.

The education system in Nauru experienced near-collapse during 2000–2005. During these years, schools on the island barely functioned. Exams were not held, maintenance of school buildings ceased, teaching materials were unaffordable, teachers went unpaid and teaching effectively broke down. The aftermath of the crisis was a sharp decline in the number of schools at all levels and the departure of most skilled teachers.

The effects of the crisis are still being felt. Less than half the schools on the island in 2000 are still functioning. There is a severe shortage of skilled teachers due to the permanent departure of expatriates. In 2008, less than 9% of teachers in Nauru had a degree qualification. Half had only a basic certificate and over 30% had effectively no qualifications, being classified as trainees.

Non-attendance is a significant problem, although there has been a significant recovery from the extremely low level of the crisis years. At present, most children attend school at age 7. However, attendance declines from age 9 and falls off dramatically at ages 15–16. Relatively few children in Nauru complete secondary school and fewer still make the transition to post-secondary vocational training or university.

The reconstruction of the education system has been accompanied by wide-ranging curriculum reforms. In 2006, a new student-oriented curriculum was introduced: Footpath. This is a unique, task-based curriculum—based on New Basics and Rich Tasks—is designed to encourage students to remain in school and to broaden the opportunities available to school leavers. Another significant reform was the 2010 decision to extend the school day in primary and secondary schools to 3.00 pm. This move ended the situation where students in Nauru spent one and a half hours less in the classroom than the Pacific average. There is also renewed focus on job-oriented education and on the development of technical and vocational training.

a)    School education

Pre-Primary Level

There are two (or three) years of pre-primary education. The first is preschool and the second is a school preparatory year. There are currently 4 infant schools in Nauru. These schools have recently been refurbished as result of Australian aid funding.

Primary Level

The first six years of formal education is within a primary school model covering grades 1-6. To officially complete primary education, students need to successfully sit a national examination prior to be awarded the Nauru Primary Certificate. There are 2 primary schools. There are four primary schools on the island. Two schools are government-owned and managed. Another two schools are church-run, one of which is also part-funded by the Nauru Government.

While lessons are officially conducted in English, Nauruan is commonly spoken in the classroom making English effectively a second language.

Secondary Level

The next four years (forms 1-4) are within a compulsory secondary school model either at the single secondary school, the technical school or the mission school. Students may elect to do two additional years of secondary education as preparation for tertiary entry.

There is a single, government-run secondary school on Nauru. A new school complex was completed in 2010. The school now includes adult learning TVET training facilities. The curriculum at the school is also being reoriented toward vocational education.

Non-Government Schools

The Nauru Government and the Roman Catholic Church are working together to review, revitalize and standardize primary education on the island. There are two non-government primary schools on Nauru (see above).

b)    Vocational education and training (VET)

Attempts to establish a vocational education centre have been thwarted by lack of money, equipment and qualified teachers, but remains on the planning schedule for the future.

The Nauru Vocational Training Centre (NVTC) was the major TVET provider on the island before its partial destruction by fire in 2002. The NVTC no longer operates. The focus of formal vocational and technical training has shifted to the TVET training facility at the secondary school.

The Government of Nauru has also provided workshops and vocational training in areas such as business skills for disadvantaged women and youth. A range of NGOs active on the island also provide non-formal training in vocational areas.

c)     Higher education

Students wishing to undertake tertiary studies have the opportunity to apply for competitive government scholarships to study overseas.

Nauru has an extension centre for the University of the South Pacific and is a partner in the university’s governance and operation. The USP Nauru Campus is the only higher education institution in Nauru. The Campus provides face-to-face teaching in accounting, management, education, early childhood education, library studies and English. In addition, the Campus provides a range of community and continuing education (CCE) courses and distance education programs (see below).

Overview of Distance Education

Distance education on Nauru dates back to the early post-independence period, when distance education courses were provided through the Nauru Education Department. The USP Centre in Nauru (now the Nauru Campus) was opened in 1987. The Nauru Campus is the major—and almost the only—distance education provider on the island. It provides audio and video-conferencing facilities, library and computer laboratory, as well as Internet and email access to Nauru students studying through distance education. USP students at Nauru can choose from the hundreds of distance education courses available from the University.

Despite the range of courses available, distance enrolments at the Nauru are extremely low. In 2008, the EFTS student load at the Nauru Campus was only 20 students, in part due to the pipeline effects of the chaotic conditions of 2000–2005.

Administration and Finance

N/A

Higher Education Reforms

Reform of higher education in Nauru is largely dependent on the direction of USP policies.

Future Direction of Tertiary Education

The future direction of tertiary education in the country depends largely on development at the Nauru Campus of the USP.

Information and Communications Technology Initiatives

Until recent years, telecommunications on Nauru were extremely poor. The lines were installed in the 1970s and were decades old. Dial-up access was unreliable and expensive. There was no mobile phone service. In 2007, a solar-powered island-wide Wi-Fi network was installed. This initiative was unsuccessful for technical reasons, being unsuited for the island topography and vegetation. More recently, Digicel Pacific has provided Nauru with mobile phone services and basic Internet connectivity. Island-wide radio and TV coverage in Nauru is now available. These initiatives have transformed the ICT environment on the island, although use of ICT in distance education remains currently restricted to services provided by the USP.

a)    Information society strategy

None identified.

b)    Major e-learning initiatives

Nauru is an active participant in OLPC Oceania project. This is a joint initiative of the Secretariat for the Pacific Community, (SPC), the One Laptop per Child Foundation, OLPC Australia and OLPC New Zealand. In 2009, two schools in Nauru were provided with XO laptops on a pilot basis. A repository of lesson plans authored by Nauru Primary Teachers has been created on WikiEducator, but currently has only a single contribution.

c)     Benchmarking e-learning

None identified.

d)    Support for OER

The Nauru Government has expressed its support for the COL’s Virtual University for the Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC), a project concerned with the collaborative development of Open Courseware. The development of open courseware is also an element in the OLPC Oceania project.

e)    Government entities

Nauru Ministry of Education

f)      Associations and networks

Pacific Regional Initiatives for the Delivery of Basic Education (PRIDE)

Commonwealth of Learning TVET (COL.TVET)

Pacific Association of Technical Vocational Education and Training (PATVET)

g)    Distance Education journals

None.

Interesting Distance Education Initiatives

Radio Pasifik-Nauru is a community-based educational radio station launched in 2007. The station is designed to assist students on Nauru to overcome isolation, frequent power cuts and the scarcity of transportation and fuel. Radio Pasifik-Nauru is a truly innovative project. It uses a solar-powered, 30-watt FM “radio in a suitcase” obtained through the COL. The station broadcasts a range of programming, including lectures and tutorials recorded weekly at the USP in Fiji. Each week, these recordings are sent digitally to Nauru and re-broadcast over Radio Pasifik-Nauru. USP lectures and tutorials comprise about half the station’s programming. The rest consists of local programming or pre-recorded segments on current affairs and topical interests. Most interestingly, programming includes audio files produced by universities in Australia, UK, Canada, US and New Zealand and from social media sites. Radio Pasifik-Nauru demonstrates that innovative approaches can succeed in delivering distance educaton even under conditions of extreme isolation.

Regulatory Framework

None identified.

a)    International regulatory  and policy frameworks

The USP is a member of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN). The USP is also a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

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

Nauru is a member of the multi-nation USP consortium.

USP Strategic Plan 2010-2012

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)

The South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Oceania

c)     National regulations and policy

Higher Education Act (1986)

Footpath II Education and training strategic plan 2008-2013 (2008)

d)    State/District regulations and policy

None.

e)    University policies

The Nauru is one of twelve Pacific island states that jointly own the University of the South Pacific. However, due to the small size of the island’s economy and population, it is unlikely that the Nauru Government has any significant influence on the wider policies of the USP.