Continuing to support education in the Solomon Islands
St Joseph’s was established in the late 1940s as a boys’ school, becoming co- educational in 1972 and supports more than 590 students, 30 Staff (teaching and non- teaching) and the surrounding community. Many of the buildings and classrooms that stand today are original. These building play a vital role in the school and community as they often double as food preparation areas for events and functions, as meeting rooms and emergency accommodation.
AMS has been working in partnership with St Joseph’s school on a range of infrastructure projects including new staff accommodation after many of the existing houses had been rendered completely uninhabitable as well as a new administration building and classroom upgrades.
St Joseph’s School is one of only seven National Secondary Schools within the Solomon Islands providing high school education to boys and girls. With a countrywide net enrolment rate at secondary schools of just 67%, it is critical to be able to engage students through qualified and experienced teachers, especially considering that only around 76% of teachers in secondary schools in the Solomon Islands are trained (The World Bank 2018). Students and staff travel from remote villages and islands from all over the Solomon’s to board at the Marist school.
Many donors and partners have helped St Joseph’s to continue to be a provider of education. The challenge remains to keep the school operational and fully functioning and this can only be achieved through donations. Please donate today and help youth of the Solomon Islands to continue to be educated.