According to andyeducation, Kiribati is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. Education in Kiribati is provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 6-14. The educational system consists of 8 years of primary school, 4 years of secondary school, and 2 years of tertiary education. Primary schools typically begin at the age of 6 and last for 8 years. During this stage, students learn basic subjects such as math, science, social studies, art and physical education. At the end of primary school students are required to take an entrance examination in order to gain admittance into secondary school. Secondary education consists of two stages: junior secondary (years 9-10) and senior secondary (years 11-12). Junior secondary focuses on academic courses such as mathematics, science, English language arts, modern languages such as French or Japanese, history and geography. Senior secondary focuses on more specialized courses such as business studies or technology related courses like computer science or engineering. Additionally there are non-formal learning centers located throughout the country which offer courses in literacy skills and life skills such as job search techniques or money management skills. These centers are often run by NGOs or other organizations that specialize in training people living in rural areas who may not have access to traditional educational institutions. Tertiary education consists of two parts: a two year pre-university training course followed by a three year university degree program or a one year certificate program at a community college which offers practical knowledge and skills that can be applied immediately upon graduation. The main universities located in Kiribati are the University of Kiribati which offers degrees in business administration, economics, engineering and computer science; Teitei Polytechnic which offers technical degrees; ITC which specializes in teacher training; KIBS which specializes in marine sciences; KITC which specializes in maritime studies; KUMS which offers medical degrees; TAFE which offers vocational qualifications; KITVET which provides vocational qualifications for tradespeople; ATCE which provides trade qualifications for electricians; TTMTCS which provides trade qualifications for mechanics; NIBMTSS providing trade qualifications for building tradespeople; BITE offering trade qualifications for beauty therapists and hairdressers; ITEC offering information technology qualifications; CITEC offering information technology certificates etc.. In addition to formal education programs there are also several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide informal educational programs throughout Kiribati including literacy classes for adults who did not complete their primary schooling due to lack of resources or opportunities or adult literacy classes aimed at helping those who wish to improve their language skills so they can better participate within their communities. See educationvv for Kiribati educational systems.
