Seeking a Panacea: Attempts to Address the Failings of Fiji and Solomon Islands Formal Education in Preparing Young People for Livelihood Opportunities

Abstract

High levels of youth unemployment have been a recurrent problem for decades in Fiji and Solomon Islands, including for those who complete secondary and tertiary education. In this article, I investigate structural issues within the formal education systems of each country and how these contribute to ongoing high unemployment. I also interrogate approaches designed to complement mainstream schooling in addressing unemployment. What emerges is a picture of education structures that are poorly designed and targeted, having little alignment with local needs and sociocultural values. I argue that envisioning the purpose of formal education from both social and economic perspectives will allow for curriculum that better identifies the skills and capabilities of individual students and prepares them to take advantage of livelihood opportunities. Philosophical and practical approaches to addressing these issues that are endogenous to Oceania are offered as guiding principles for creating more effective education systems.