Environmental education in the South Pacific: an evaluation of progress in three countries

Summary In this paper the formal environmental education being delivered in three countries in the South Pacific Region, Fiji (Melanesia), Kiribati (Micronesia) and Niue (Polynesia) is evaluated. The findings reveal that environmental education is at different stages of evolution in each of these countries. At present only Niue appears to deliver environmental education effectively when compared with models of good practice suggested in the literature. Some general recommendations are included for the improvement of environmental education in Fiji and Kiribati.Neil Taylor was until recently a Fellow in Science Education at the University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168, Suva, Fiji. He is now a senior research student at the Centre for Mathematics and Science Education at Queensland University of Technology. Dr Teny Topalian has until very recently been the co-ordinator of the Public Marine Education Programme run as part of the Marine Studies Programme of the University of the South Pacific. She has now returned to her position as Assistant Professor in Natural Sciences and Biology at California State University, Long Beach, California, USA.