Australia & NZ stepping up Pacific investment

AUCKLAND – The new funding announced by John Key and Julia Gillard during the Pacific Forum will help build vocational skills and employment opportunities throughout the Pacific.

Key said, “We’re setting a target of getting over 500,000 more children in the  Pacific in education by 2021, ensuring that 75 per cent of  children in the region can read by the age of 10.”

Currently it is believed about a million Pacific children are without formal education.

NZ will invest $145 million in education in the Pacific over the next four years, and an additional $122 million for scholarships and training.

Australia will provide $152 million over four years from the aid programme to continue to support the Australia Pacific Technical College.

Ms Gillard said this latest funding will help thousands of students graduate from the college between 2011 and 2015 and will focus on streamlining administration to ensure better value for money.

She said ensuring that Pacific nations are prosperous, successful and stable is in Australia’s national interest and this training will help these small nations with their development.

Australia would also provide $2.7 million to support research on technical and vocational education and training costs and financing across the Pacific, Gillard said.