A New Zealand academic says more regional dialogue is needed to improve education standards in Micronesia.
Professor Graham Smith, who specialises in indigenous education and is currently at the University of British Columbia, says there has been a lot of criticism of low education standards in Micronesia.
He says Maori education in New Zealand is an ideal model for the region to consider.
"The very fact people are beginning to take seriously the idea that the status quo in education is not delivering their aspirations as they are at the moment. That there is a need to do something different, there is a need to make a change. And the fact the community is interrogating this, is very positive."
Professor Graham Smith addressed around 1000 educators at a conference on raising education standards in the Marshall Islands last week.
