The Marshall Islands ministry of education has a new road map for school improvement in the country and the challenge for 2014 will be rolling it out.
Parliament's new Education Act will lead to the establishment of a Board of Education to oversee public and private schools, and all education staff will now come under a new ministry of education rather than the Public Service Commission.
The education minister, Dr Hilda Heine, says there is a one-year transition period for the new law, which is expected to be fully operational by the 1st of October next year.
Dr Heine says this year they will be working on new policies and procedures to implement the law, and one priority is to get the new board in place.
She says the new law also makes it mandatory for children from 5 to 18 years of age to attend school.
