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April 11, 2008
Statement by Acting President, Hon Christopher J.Loeak College of the Marshall Islands Foundation Day April 10-11,2008
Let me commence on behalf of President Tomeing by congratulating the President of the College, Wilson Hess, members of the Board of Regent, and staff and faculty for your hard work and contribution towards the development of this institution. There was a time when the College was in jeopardy for its failure to operate in accordance with the accreditation standards and requirements of WASC. Now I read that you have managed to pull yourself out of the danger zone and that you have but a few more hurdles to clear, before, hopefully, you are on safe ground.
The latest report by the two-member WASC team praised CMI on the progress made particularly in the area of planning, professional staff development and infrastructural development. The Government would like to add its own appreciation to all those responsible.
I am grateful for your invitation to attend your Foundation Day and to take a guided tour of your new facilities. I am also grateful for the invitation to say a few words about the aims of the Government in relation to the College, its work and direction.
That the education sector has consistently been a priority objective of any RMI government is common knowledge. Emphasis in terms of funding and support has always been directed at this particular sector. More recently, the substantial allocation of our Compact-related funds to this sector is sufficient evidence of the importance the country gives to creating an education system that can address in very concrete terms a response that meets our priority national needs.
There have been progress, of course; it would be unfair to deny ourselves of this modest credit. In this College, for example, I understand that your nursing program is touted to be the best in the Micronesian sub region. This is a wonderful achievement and something we should be proud of. I recall that when this institution was first set up as part of the College of the Micronesia, nursing was one of the components which came with the transfer.
I also understand that other programs such as business administration and computer skill training are also in progress. Yet, it seems that in general as well as in other specific areas of education and training, there has yet to be a clear sense of satisfaction, among some people and among others who come to our country now and again to study our performance, that we have sufficiently developed the capacity to handle serious national issues and problems.
The stark reality that we should more closely take a good look at what we have been doing came upon the Government only a few weeks ago when the USAKA Commander in Kwajalein announced transformation activities which would result in the reduction of the RMI workforce. It became apparent to us then that our own national training agencies and institutions did not have the standing readiness to respond to the job related vocational and technical training needs of the moment.
There was a suggestion in relation to this that, in the interest of cost, we should explore the possibility with Palau Community and Vocational College. Well, this is a logic that does not seem to make much sense to me. I do not seem to understand why Palau with a population almost half ours, can run and manage a technical and vocational program in its Community College, producing skilled workers from electricians, technicians and builders to other practical skill areas and we can't. And as I understand it, Palau Community College does not have any problem with its accreditation status. Figures on our imported skilled labor force do tell us a lot about the absence of this category of skilled manpower.
Of course, if we are thinking of creating a vocational entity separate from, or outside of, our College, then it would be a costly affair. But if it is embedded as an integral program of our College as envisaged in the Nitijela Act which created the College, then it is possible that we should be able to do it within reasonable costs.
In saying this, I am not in the least suggesting that we should do a quick turn around in terms of our present focus. I am submitting a question for your consideration as to why expanding your program focus onto other areas should necessarily mean discontinuing vocational and technical training which is a much needed area in skill training for the majority of our young people. Now it seems to me that if CMI is capable of producing an excellent nursing program it must also have the professional and institutional capability to produce excellent vocational and technical skills training.
I believe that continuing relevance in conjunction with the reality on the ground in terms of our needs are essential factors to take into account. We do not particularly want to encourage emigration to the United States but the fact is that we do have a large number of people moving every year to the United States, and when they do, we want them to go well ¬equipped with skills that will help them get into jobs. I can only conclude that we need to provide the kind of training quality that is relevant and needed.
Please do not take these as criticisms. They are not. I noted in the latest WASC report reference being made to the need for CMI to strengthen its assessment process. So I am only sharing my own assessment of your good work in light of our urgent needs.
The Government appreciates CMI's effort in trying to produce well ¬trained teachers for our schools. I cannot stress more strongly the importance of this need, in part because this has been a perpetual problem for the country from heaven knows when, in part because we have invested heavily in this area for so long -since the College was first established.
Now I read in the latest ADB report a recommendation for CMI to explore joining and thereby benefiting from Palau and FSM 4-year teacher training program. And the reason given was that we could not produce enough number of teachers to cope with the teaching demand. Is this because we do not have the capacity to produce good teachers or is it because we are over -diversifying our attention and resources to other areas and letting this area suffer? How many teachers do we need anyway?
I do not know, but I thought I should raise it any way for your consideration. I for one do not accept the view that it is because CMI could not produce good teachers. If you can produce good nurses, so can you also exert the same attention and produce good teachers.
You have some very unique challenges ahead of you. And I would like to conclude my remarks by wishing you all a successful Foundation Day, an enriching academic year, and may your aims and goals be fulfilled.
Thank you.
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