WELLINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday announced a 9 million NZ dollars (5.9 million U.S. dollars) package to make it easier for Pacific students to access education.
"Pacific governments face significant challenges in delivering joined-up education services over a vast geographic area," Ardern said in a statement.
This initiative will leverage high-speed internet connectivity to ensure more Pacific students have access to high quality education and learning opportunities, Ardern said.
At the ongoing Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, Ardern announced the package, which includes a 5 million NZ dollars (3.28 million U.S. dollars) project to support teachers to deliver an interactive e-learning science curriculum for Year 10 students in Samoa, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Solomon Islands.
"Pacific Island countries want to lift the quality of science education without needing physical access to laboratories. New Zealand's experience in this area will be a useful contribution to these partnerships," the prime minister said.
As part of the package, Ardern also announced a partnership with Fiji's University of the South Pacific and the Commonwealth of Learning to expand open, distance and flexible learning opportunities at secondary and tertiary levels.
