Title: An opinion piece: strengthening human rights education in the pacific island region: an overview of the efforts made by the political science staff at the University of the South Pacific

Abstract: Issues revolving around human rights education have been debated in the Pacific Island region for some time. While much of the associated discourse is related to philosophical arguments above the relevancy of the area for Pacific Island people, this paper recognizes the interest of students in the theme and argues that, for this reason alone, it is worth pursing.

Title: Other peoples' flowers: some personal reflections on researching as an outsider

Abstract: The author shares his experiences, and limitations, in doing research in a culture of which he was not a part. His experience in developing educational technology in the Pacific region taught him that, rather than developing prescriptive strategies, it was better to develop and adaptive toolset which empowered students and teachers to customize learning materials to their own cultural contexts.

Title: An opinion piece: re-thinking educational reform in the pacific

Abstract: This paper argues for a specific emphasis to be placed on a subjective and spiritual approach to be taken to educational reform when interrogating education in the Pacific. As part of taking a more holistic approach, the spiritual development.heart and soul knowledge.of students should not be neglected. This would be in line with the .learning to be. pillar of learning advocated by the Delors Repot commissioned by UNESCO. The paper suggests that cultural and spiritual values of each Pacific country should underpin reform of education in the Pacific

Title: Jelalokjen in flux: pitfalls and prospects of contextualising teacher training programmes in the Marshall Islands

Abstract: The concept of education in the Marshall Islands is constantly being redefined according to the cultural, social and political forces acting upon it. A variety of hurdles exists to codifying a socially relevant and contextualised approach to training teachers in the country. It is incumbent upon teacher trainers to develop valid approaches to contextualizing education working towards the creation of a qualified pool of professional Marshallese educators and the adoption of realistic and appropriate education standards.

Title: Solomon Islands principalship: roles perceived, performed, preferred and expected

Abstract: This article provides a profile of the Solomon Islands secondary school principal. The article argues that the principal, as profiled, cannot be fairly expected to perform effectively as a school leader, as proposed in the academic literature. The article ends by lauding Solomon Islands principals for providing school leadership in spite of overwhelming odds.

Title: Motivation to join primary teaching profession: the case of Fiji

Abstract: The study reported here focuses on motivations for joining the teaching profession. In particular, motives of the entrants joining the primary teaching force were investigated. The trainees at Lautoka Teachers. College in Fiji responded to a questionnaire aimed at identifying their motives for choosing primary teaching as a career. Analysis of the results indicated that a large percentage of trainee teachers enrolled at the College were genuinely interested in becoming a teacher, and that a small percentage of them did not consider teaching as their career choice. The paper also discusses implications pertinent to student selection at the College.