Never Schooled

Education is linked with wellbeing in some obvious ways, with better health and income outcomes resulting from attaining higher levels. More than ten thousand adults in Vanuatu over the age of 25, however, have never attended school. Many of them are able to live a good life, with plenty of food to eat, a good house to live in, and a community and large family that can support them. This episode looks into the ways in which an "education of life" contributes to wellbeing and is important for all ni-Vanuatu, including those with the opportunity to attend school and those that perform well in the formal system. By finding ways in which the formal system can embrace and make space for indigenous languages, traditional knowledge, and practical understanding, the children of Vanuatu today have the opportunity to have a much better rounded education.