Schools in Vanuatu

Schools in Vanuatu

Schooling is very different in Vanuatu to what kids experience in New Zealand and Australia. The school in the photo is Montmartre College. How many schools do you know that have 6-hectare garden with fruit trees, vegetables, sweet corn, and roots vegetables; Manioc, Kumala (Sweet Potatoes), Igname and Taro. Every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning all the students (around 500) have to go into the garden with their machetes’, it’s compulsory, as they eat what their grow everyday so the college can save money. It is also good because the students learn more then just academic subjects, they learn life skills as well, and not just how to grow plants, but every Saturday and Sunday they have to cook their own food as well because there is no cook on the weekends.

Montmartre College was the first French school in Vanuatu, and it still is the best. It is a Catholic boarding school with 350 boys and girls from Year 7 to 10, another 150 boys and girls Year 11 and to 13, and they only get to go back to town once a month.

All the students and most of the teachers are Ni Vanuatu (this is what the indigenous people are called) except they do have help from around the world. There are three Brothers "Frére du Sacré Coeur" from Canada, an old priest from France and they have Sisters to help as well, one from France, one from Wallis Islands, and another from Madagascar. Everybody lives on site; there is a private house for the teachers and a large dormitory for the students.

Compared to New Australian and New Zealand schools they only have a limited amount of sporting equipment, a soccer field, 4 volley ball courts, a basketball court, and a Pétanque (French bowls)field.

School fees are the same for Private and Public Secondary schools at 27,000 Vatus, the local currency (which is around $AUD330 or $NZ360) for a year. That might not sound much, but the normal monthly income for a Ni Vanuatu is 20,000VT ($AUD250 or $NZ270) and most Vanuatu families have at least three children so it means they could pay 4 months salary just for school fees.