Science Education in Vanuatu
Barry Cook
Abstract
Science education in primary schools in Vanuatu will receive increased
exposure due to the introduction of a science-based environmental component
in the imminent Unified National Primary Curriculum. Localisation of
science teaching at the junior secondary level is about to be boosted by the
graduation of the first of two cohorts of ni-Vanuatu teacher trainee students.
The Context
Vanuatu is a nation comprising some 80 islands stretching over 1000
kilometres between 12 and 21 degrees S latitude with a population of
approximately 150 000. The lingua franca is Bislama: however, French and
English are the languages of instruction in schools, reflecting the Condo-
minium status of Vanuatu before independence in 1980. Prior to 1980, the
country was known as the New Hebrides and administered jointly by France
and Britain.
Enrolments in both primary and secondary schools are consistent with an
overall ratio of 62:38 of Anglophone students to Francophone students. With
a population growth rate of 2.8% and free primary schooling, enrolments in
primary schools will continue to place pressure on the provision of teachers
and facilities.
There are some 270 primary schools catering for approximately 25 000
children. With a student:teacher ratio of 29:1, there are more than 830 teachers
in primary schools. Most primary teachers are ni-Vanuatu who have trained
at the Vanuatu Teachers College. A competitive national examination allows
selection of approximately 22% of year 6 students for entry to the Junior
Secondary school system.
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The seventeen Junior Secondary schools, eleven Anglophone, four Francophone
and two catering for both, support 28 streams (or year 7 - 1 0 cohorts).
Approximately 3 200 students are taught by some 150 teachers in the 17
schools. Competitive national examinations allow selection of students for
education beyond year 10.
Three schools, two Anglophone and one Francophone, provide approximately
160 places for year 11 -13 students in academic courses. Vocational courses,
mostly Francophone, are provided for a small proportion of year 10 leavers.
In addition, a number of students gain scholarships for senior secondary study
in overseas countries.
Science in the Primary Schools
At present separate curricula and methodologies inherited from Condo-
minium days exist in Anglophone and Francophone primary schools. Few
support materials for these curricula exist in most schools and those that do
exist are often not common between the two systems. This presents many
difficulties for teachers and children, not the least of which is a competitive
common examination held at the end of year 6 which decides entry to
secondary school.
Little science exists in present curricula; however, some Natural Science
topics such as "Air and Water" and "Living Things" do appear under Social
Studies or Environmental Studies in most schools
In 1990, PASEP project (Primary And Secondary Education Project) teammembers
began work as advisers on a Unified Primary Curriculum for Vanuatu. This project
is funded by the World Bank, AIDAB (Australia) and the Vanuatu Government and
one of its aims is to prepare curricula and support materials in all subjects for all
primary schools. Materials for teachers and children will be introduced progressively
to schools between 1992 and 1994. The author is an Adviser in Environmental
Studies in this component of the project.
Science topics are covered in the "Our Environment" section of the Social
Studies syllabus in the new curriculum. Other sections are "Our Communi-
ties", Health/Nutrition/Agriculture and Religious Education. It was felt that
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science taught under the familiar heading of Social Studies was less threaten-
ing to teachers, many of whom have little background in the subject.
Our Environment is recommended to be taught in four x twenty five minute
lessons each week. The content of the section is arranged under four themes,
Living Things, Matter, Energy and Interdependence. These themes reflect
two general objectives of the curriculum, firstly that children become aware
of nature and science as it affects them in their daily lives and secondly that
they understand, develop and protect the environment in which they live.
Teaching methodologies recommended for the Environment section emphasise
development of the skills of observing, classifying, communicating and
predicting. Emphasised also is the necessity for extensive use of the outdoors
as the primary source for learning materials, for practice at problem solving
and for working cooperatively in groups. Concepts from the child's immediate
surroundings are introduced at earliest levels and gradually concepts from
further and further afield are introduced in later years.
Complementing the scientific principles in Our Environment is the almost
completed Health/Nutrition/Agriculture, (HNA), Project sponsored by
UNICEF with the cooperation of the ministries of Health, Education and
Agriculture in Vanuatu. Detailed teachers' guides for each year level provide
useful resources which reinforce environmental themes.
Curriculum materials for Our Environment consist of an overall Teachers'
Handbook outlining teaching methodologies and course principles, and at
each year level, Teachers' Guides detailing Major Ideas which illustrate the
objectives and a series of Possible Activities by which the objectives may be
achieved. Pupils' Books containing associated activities are provided for the
children. A series of Teacher Resource Booklets containing background
information is also envisaged.
Junior Secondary School
The present science course in junior secondary schools dates from approxi-
mately 1981 when the Science Panel, representing predominantly Anglophone
schools, adopted in principle selective use of the Insight to Science (ITS)
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materials developed by the Inner London Educational Authority as replace-
ment for the UNDP developed (South Pacific) Basic Science course.
Francophone schools up to 1985 were mostly using materials developed in
metropolitan France.
In 1984/5 a new national junior secondary curriculum was devised which
would be common to both Francophone and Anglophone schools. In science,
it was decided that the ITS materials could be selectively adapted to cater for
most topics in years 7 and 8. Some ITS materials, complemented by texts and
locally produced reference booklets, were adopted for years 9 and 10.
The syllabus adopted in 1985 has content based on four general themes,
namely Energy, Materials, Living Things and Earth Science. It aims to
promote knowledge and understanding, problem solving skills, practical
skills and appropriate attitudes in the children. It is designed to be taught in
approximately 3 hours per week over the four years.
The original ITS materials have been adapted, trialled, modified and translated on a
continuous basis since adoption. Initially developed for use in London's many multi-
racial schools, they are based on sound principles of learning and at the time of adoption
in Vanuatu were believed to be the most suited to the context. Language, conceptual
levels, coverage of topics and a methodology based on the use of workcards were
considered to be appropriate to the special conditions extant in Vanuatu.
Workcards are activity based, highly diagrammatic, contain explicit instructions and
questions for children to answer and are designed to foster group work. All of this
allows the teacher flexibility in facilitating and monitoring student learning.
However, the possibility of "recipe-book" science is ever present.
Specific and detailed Teachers' Guides for each term provide for an almost
"teacher-proof set of guidelines for achieving the objectives of the science
syllabus. Details of experimental techniques, pre-activity preparation, class-
room organisation and topic planning are given.
A lengthy and detailed "Introduction to the Programme" provides teachers
with background information on the educational and psychological principles
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underlying the course, hints on teaching methodologies, details of the
importance of language in science in the Vanuatu context and information
about using, storing and ordering laboratory equipment.
Laboratories vary greatly in terms of fixed facilities, as would be expected
given the diversity of locations of schools throughout the Repbulic. Most, but
not all, have gas and water connected. All have been given an initial, suitably
comprehensive set of apparatus and consumables to teach the course and all
have a modest annual budget for replacement items. Storage and maintenance
present problems in many schools, given the moist climate.
The science syllabus contains detailed assessment objectives in each of the
areas of knowledge and understanding, problem solving, practical skills and
attitudes.
Assessment of children's achievement of the objectives of the course takes
place at year 10 through two written examinations and two practical tests. The
practical tests are administered and marked internally during the year and each
provides 10 marks for the final assessment. The written examinations are
administered at the end of the year and marked externally. A multiple choice
paper provides 40 marks and a paper requiring short written answers provides
60 marks.
Overall, the science course can be seen as highly specified and detailed and
allowing little scope for teacher initiative in following personal interests or the
interests of children in particular circumstances. However, this specificity can
be seen to be dictated to a large degree by the high rates of turnover of science
teachers and consequent lack of continuity through the four years of children's
secondary schooling.
Junior Secondary Science Teachers
The high teacher turnover amongst junior secondary science teahers results
mainly from the relatively large number of expatriate science teachers on short
term contracts employed in the schools. These expatriate teachers may be
church-based missionaries in some church-supported schools, volunteers (for
example, Peace Corps from the US and VSOs from New Zealand) or French
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National Service personnel in Francophone schools. In addition, many ni-
Vanuatu teachers move between schools for personal reasons or leave for
private sector employment or overseas study.
Most locally employed junior secondary science teachers have received
qualifications from overseas institutions including USP and UPNG. Often
these qualifications have not included formal teacher training and these
teachers have learnt "on the job". The overseas qualifications have also proved
attractive to employers in the private sector and teacher retention is a problem.
Teacher turnover should be reduced as the graduates from the first local
Anglophone junior secondary teacher training program enter schools in 1993
and 1994. In addition, the Ministry of Education is endeavouring to guarantee
tenure of a minimum of three years for teachers in each school. These changes
should improve stability and enhance the teaching of science in the future, as
teachers should be prepared to invest more effort in schools to which they have
a greater sense of belonging.
In-service work for teachers is predominantly accomplished in a one week
residential conference setting which takes place in the May vacation period.
All teachers are transported to and accommodated at the conference at
Ministry expense and are expected to attend. Extensive workshops and
demonstrations are used to model desirable practice and many administrative
details are finalised.
Science in Post-Year 10 Courses
Academic courses post year 10 are conducted at three locations. At Malapoa
College, the former British Secondary School established in 1966, many of the
staff teaching post year 10 courses are expatriate UK teachers provided under
a UK aid program. At Matevulu High School, established in the 1980s under
the PASEP Project, many of the post year 10 staff are Australian teachers
provided under Australian aid programs. At Lycee Louis Antoine de
Bougainville established in the 1960s, most senior staff are French nationals,
many fulfilling National Service obligations.
Upon completion of years 11 and 12, students at Malopoa and Matevulu sit
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for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE),
administered from the UK. In science, the students study Physics, Chemistry
and Biology. Students at the Lycee study for the Baccalaureate, also in the
separate sciences.
During 1992, a Year 13 course, based on Pacific syllabi and examinations, has
been introduced and there are plans for these courses to filter down to years
12 and 11 in the near future.
Teacher Training in Science
Most primary teacher trainees are recruited from year 10 to year 12 school
leavers into both the Anglophone and Francophone courses conducted at the
Vanuatu Teachers' College. Courses at the college are presently being
rewritten to take account of the new Unified Primary Curriculum. College
primary teacher training staff have been closely involved in the development
of the Unified Curriculum and will introduce new skills into their courses.
Science related skills and understandings form a significant part of the new
courses.
A small number of local Francophone secondary teachers have been trained
for the past few years in a program centred at Lycee Louis Antoine de
Bougainville. This Centre de Formation des Maitres du Secondaire uses an
attachment system where trainee teachers work closely with experienced
teachers before a probationary teaching period.
1991 saw the commencement of the first local Anglophone junior secondary
teacher training course to be conducted for ni-Vanuatu at the Vanuatu
Teachers' College. The course is designed to speed localisation of the
secondary teaching force and is another component of the PASEP Project.
Teachers in the first intake are being trained in English and Social Science or
Mathematics and Science. The majority of the intake were year 12 leavers;
however, some primary teachers are upgrading to become secondary teachers.
In the science component, fifteen students commenced a two year Mathemat-
ics/Science course leading to the award of a Diploma of Secondary Teaching
after a probationary teaching year and further inservice courses. A second
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intake of fifteen students entered the course in 1992. Students elect to major
in either Mathematics or Science after the first year of the course. The author
is responsible for delivery of the science component of the course. Whether
further intakes to the course will take place is uncertain at present.
It is believed that the entry of two cohorts of locally trained junior secondary
teachers will overcome many of the present difficulties in adequately staffing
all posts in junior secondary schools, particularly in science and mathematics.
Conclusion
Science in primary schools in Vanuatu should improve markedly as a result
of the imminent introduction of a new, modern and unified curriculum. A
critical factor in its success or otherwise will be the type and quality of
inservice experiences provided for primary teachers.
A number of factors seem to be combining to enhance the teaching and
learning of science at junior secondary level and with the imminent entry of
an enthusiastic group of local teachers, the future in this area seems reasonably
assured.
Less certain is the fate of science at senior secondary levels. For the forseeable
future, this area will continue to rely on expatriate teachers provided by aid
donors and there is always a degree of uncertainty regarding these commit-
ments due to variations in economic conditions in the donor country.
References
Department of Education, (1991). Unified Primary Curriculum: An lntroduc-
tion and Overview. Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Department of Education, (1991). Basic Science: Introduction to the
Programme. Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Rawlinson, R. W., (1991). Report to the Ministry of Education: Rationalisation
and Deployment of Teaching Posts in Primary and Lower Secondary Schools.
Port Vila, Vanuatu.
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