GREAT Coalition and MEHRD strengthen coordination to advance free education and national education reforms
Honiara, 23 July 2026: The Government for Reform, Empowerment, Accountability and Transformation (GREAT) Coalition, through the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Policy Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PIMEU), has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the GREAT Coalition’s education agenda following a high-level engagement with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD).
The meeting brought together the PIMEU Social Sector Team and MEHRD’s Senior Executive Management to review implementation progress, strengthen policy coordination, and advance key Government education priorities.
Discussions focused on the rollout of the GREAT Coalition’s flagship education commitments: Education for All, Education Reform, Free Education, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Teachers’ Welfare, and School Infrastructure Development.
The engagement highlighted that substantial progress is already underway. The majority of the Government’s priority commitments are now reflected in MEHRD’s Annual Work Plan, demonstrating strong alignment between the GREAT Coalition’s policy vision and the Ministry’s implementation framework.
Participants welcomed the progress to date and acknowledged MEHRD’s efforts to improve access, quality and equity in education. The meeting also identified opportunities to further strengthen implementation mechanisms and accelerate delivery of the Coalition’s flagship policies.
The timing of the engagement is significant as MEHRD undertakes a review of the current National Education Action Plan (NEAP) and begins preparations for the next phase of the nation’s education strategy.
This presents an opportunity to ensure Government priorities are fully embedded in the sector’s long-term planning framework, enabling reforms to be sustained and scaled in the coming years.
The Government remains committed to ensuring every Solomon Islands child has access to quality, inclusive and affordable education. Implementation of the Free Education Policy and the wider Education Reform Agenda is a cornerstone of the GREAT Coalition’s vision to make education the most strategic investment in the nation’s future human capital.
While further work will continue on policy, institutional and financing arrangements, both parties noted that important foundations have already been established.
The strong partnership between MEHRD and OPMC-PIMEU reflects the Government’s coordinated approach to delivering meaningful and measurable results for citizens.
The meeting concluded with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to intensify collaboration and accelerate implementation of the GREAT Coalition’s education priorities.
Together, they remain focused on delivering tangible improvements for students, empowering teachers, strengthening schools and centres, and creating better opportunities for communities across the Solomon Islands
SOURCE://GCU PRESS RELEASE
