The National OER Consultation has set the Platform. This is a totally new threshold, which adds to the excitement of the surprises, challenges and development all Fijians have to gain from here and onwards. As leaders today, how do you feel of these dyinamics?

31.03.2015 - UNESCO Office in Apia

UNESCO supports the national consultation on O.E.Rs (Open Educational Resources) in Fiji

Group Photo (c) Holiday Inn, Suva

The Fiji National Stakeholder’s Consultation on the use of Open Education Resources (OER) brought together Fiji Government stakeholders for a one day meeting, Wednesday, 25th March 2015 at Holiday Inn, Suva, to endorse in principle the draft national policy on the use of OER.

Open Educational Resources are learning tools that reside in the public domain or that have been released with intellectual property licenses allowing their free use, continuous improvement, and modification by others.

Open Educational Resources can deliver two great benefits for students:

1. lower cost in obtaining the educational resources needed to succeed in school, so that students and schools can redirect funds for other instructional needs; and
2. access to a universe of high-quality, updated content that can be tailored minute-by-minute by educators to reflect new developments and current events.

Open Educational Resources provide a broad range of opportunities for ensuring more equitable access to high quality education leading to the empowerment of disadvantaged groups, as well as new ways for disseminating ideas, facilitating intercultural exchange and dialogue and for achieving sustainable development.

The consultation in Suva was organized by the Fiji Higher Education Commission and opened by Hon Dr. Mahendra Reddy, Minister for Education, National heritage, Culture and Arts.

With the support of the Hewlett Foundation (USA), Mr Etienne Clément, Director of UNESCO Office for the Pacific States in Apia delivered a keynote speech reaffirming UNESCO’s full support to the Government of Fiji and all its stakeholders for this initiative.

“Open Educational Resources provide a broad range of opportunities for ensuring more equitable access to high quality education leading to the empowerment of disadvantaged groups, as well as new ways for disseminating ideas, facilitating intercultural exchange and dialogue and for achieving sustainable development.”

In the communiqué issued by the Fiji Higher Education Commission at the end of the consultation, the participants reaffirmed the increasing importance of OERs in Fijian society and observed the progress on OERs taking place locally and in the region. They endorsed the draft policy while noting a few concerns that will be communicated by the Higher Education Commission to the Minister of Education.

In 2012, UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning organized the World Congress on Open Educational Resources.

Over 700 delegates including Governments, academia, civil society, researchers, teachers and experts unanimously agreed to the 10-point Paris Declaration on Open Educational Resources which makes a special call to Governments encouraging the open licensing of educational materials produced with public funds.

The Declaration and the distinct logo created for the Congress has become a global standard for all OER Projects worldwide including references by U.S. President Obama during the 2015 Open Education Week. Fiji played a lead role in the Congress and Declaration through Mr Abel Caine who led the UNESCO Team.

Ref: - http://www.unesco.org/new/en/apia/about-this-office/single-view/news/unesco_supports_the_national_consultation_on_oers_open_educational_resources_in_fiji/#.VS6R_tzF8cJ

UNESCO Office in Apia