Education Island Marshall

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a sovereign nation in "free association" with the United States. After more than a decade of negotiation, the Marshall Islands and the United States signed the Compact of Free Association on June 25, 1983. The people of the Marshall Islands approved the compact in a UN-observed plebiscite on September 7, 1983. The U.S. Congress subsequently approved the compact, adding several amendments which were accepted by the Government of the Marshall Islands and the compact entered into force on October 21, 1986. In 1999-2003, the two nations negotiated an amended Compact that entered into force on May 1, 2004. Under the amended Compact, the U.S. will provide the RMI $57 million over the next ten years and $62 million over the following 10 years, and will give Marshallese access to U.S. programs and services throughout. A Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability Committee (JEMFAC) comprised of representatives of both governments will ensure t ... [Read More]

Report Evaluating the Request of the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Presented to the Congress of the United States of America

Exposure: The facts regarding radioactive fallout do not support a request under the "changed circumstances" provision of the section 177 settlement agreement. In its request, the RMI asserts that a far wider area of the Marshall Islands than the northerly atolls and islands that are the focus of the section 177 settlement agreement was exposed to dangerous levels of radioactivity. The weight of expert scientific evidence indicates that the present impact of radioactive fallout on the Marshall Islands is limited to the more northerly atolls and islands. Although some islands may never be suitable for communities or food gathering and should remain off limits, most historically inhabited islands in the northern atolls could be resettled under specific conditions. The section 177 settlement agreement recognized that, within the northern atolls, some islands would be more habitable than others. In the section 177 settlement agreement, the Government of the Marshall Islan ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Marshall Islands, May 1996Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsPrepared and released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Pacific Island AffairsMay 1996Official Name: Republic of the Marshall IslandsPROFILEGeographyArea: 181 sq. km. (approximately 70 sq. mi.) of islands scattered over 500,000 sq. mi. of the Western Pacific; slightly larger than Washington, DC.Cities: Capital--Majuro (pop. 225000). Other cities--Ebeye, Jaluit.Terrain: 29 low-lying coral atolls and islands.Climate: Tropical with a wet season from May to November.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Marshallese.Population (1996 est.): 56,000.Annual growth rate: 4%.Ethnic groups: 90% Marshallese, 10% U.S., Filipino, Chinese, New Zealander, and Korean.Religions: Christian, mostly Protestant.Languages: English; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese.Education: Literacy (1995)--60%.Health: Infant mortality rate-- ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Test scores reveal that the education system needs to be improved. Though there is a 19 to 1 ratio of students to teachers, the quality of education is of great concern. Nearly half of the teachers in the Marshall Islands have only a secondary school diploma as their highest qualification. Scores on the entrance tests to the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) in February 2000 required 73% of those applying to take remedial training of up to 2 years before being allowed to enroll in traditional college credit courses. CMI provides 2‑year degree programs in liberal arts and sciences, teacher education, nursing and allied health, business and computer science, and vocational and occupational education and training. Remedial programs are available to prepare students to enter CMI's degree programs, and it has an adult education program to provide an opportunity for obtaining a high school diploma. CMI is in partnership in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is U.S. federally ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Kiribati, May 1996Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsPrepared and released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Pacific Island AffairsMay 1996Official Name: Republic of KiribatiPROFILEGeographyArea: 719 sq. km. (266 sq. mi.).Capital: Tarawa.Terrain: Archipelago of low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs.Climate: Hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.PeopleNationality: I'KiribatiPopulation (1995): 77,852; Tarawa (1995): 32,356.Annual growth rate (1995): 1.45%Ethnic groups: Predominantly Micronesian, with some Polynesian.Religions: 54% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant (Congregational), some Seventh-day Adventist, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints and Church of God.Languages: English (official), I-Kiribati.Education (1985): Compulsory through age 11. Literacy--90%.Health (1990): Infant mortality rate--62/1,000. Life expectancy--55 yrs. male, 60 yrs. female.Work force: 7,000.GovernmentT ... [Read More]

International Education Week Events and Activities

"International Education-The New Frontier" Forum, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Washington, DC, USA) - To support the opening of International Education Week, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the American Forum for Global Education, in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Education, UNESCO, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National Peace Corp Association, will hold a forum on global education. The Forum, "International Education-The New Frontier," will take place at the Canadian Embassy. This forum will initiate discussion and frame key issues for international/global education for the future. U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, and ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter will provide openin ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: GAO Calls for Accountability over Funds to Island Nations

I am pleased to be here today to provide information you requested regarding economic assistance provided by the United States from 1987 through 1998, under the Compact of Free Association, to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. In 1986, the U.S. government entered into an international agreement, the Compact of Free Association, with each nation. This Compact represents a continuation of U.S. financial support that had been supplied to these areas for almost 40 years after World War II under the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Specifically, my testimony will address (1) the use of Compact funding by the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, (2) the progress made by both nations in advancing economic self-sufficiency, (3) the role of Compact funds in supporting economic progress, and (4) the amount of accountability over Compact expenditures. My statement will be accompanied by photog ... [Read More]

IEW Events > United States

The Institute of International Education (IIE) will hold a briefing titled "International Education: One Year Later" to release the results of the latest Open Doors report. This report, funded by the Department of State, tracks trends in flows of international students in the U.S. and U.S. students abroad. In addition to Open Doors, the event will spotlight a new electronic survey on the impact of September 11 on international educational exchange. Invited speakers include Patricia S. Harrison (Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs), Allan E. Goodman (President, IIE), and Todd Davis (Director, Higher Education Resource Group, IIE.) The briefing is open to press and international education community, and will include an open discussion of the impact of September 11 on international educational exchange. ... [Read More]