The 1^st Conference of Pacific Education Ministers will be held on 20–22 March in Auckland, New Zealand, to discuss key education challenges and identify areas of action in the region.

Pacific Islands Forum Education leaders, senior government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, policymakers, students, and educators are expected to also discuss how the region is progressing towards the goals of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2030 Agenda.

Held under a theme ‘Empowering Education for Pacific People', the conference seeks to mobilise resources to address some of the Pacific’s most pressing education challenges due to the impact of globalization and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The discussions will focus on sub-themes, including quality and relevance, education financing, building resiliency, education access, inclusivity, and equity.

These themes are specifically chosen to focus discussions around skills-based training and TVET, maintenance of culture and language, Pacific indigenous knowledge and pedagogies, non-cognitive skills, regional education financing and governance, building resilient education systems and teaching for inclusion and equity.

PacREF Facilitating Unit (PFU) Coordinator, Mr Filipe Jitoko said, the conference of Pacific Education Ministers brings together education stakeholders in the region to discuss emerging issues impacting the region, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies, connectivity, and social media, which directly impact the lives of Pacific children and influence their behaviour and lifestyles.

"It is important for the education sector in the region to discuss ways to respond as a region to these issues."

This will also be the first-time where other stakeholders such as civil societies, teachers, and students would be part of the CPEM, and their contribution to the roundtable discussions would be greatly welcomed, especially since they are important stakeholders in steering education forward for the region.