The recent meeting of the ICDE Global Advocacy Campaign, Oceania task force took place on 25 September 2025. The themes for discussion were inclusivity, scalability, and sustainability in education, the three central terms for the advocacy campaign. The presenters were Dr. Rajni Chand, University of the South Pacific (USP), Task Force Lead for the Oceania region and Ralph Springett, President Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ).

Challenges in Oceania Education

Rajni Chand discussed the challenges of providing quality education in the Pacific region, highlighting the diversity in education levels, infrastructure, and connectivity issues across 18 nations. She emphasised the need for inclusivity, particularly for the young population, and the importance of ensuring education continues even during crises like natural disasters.

Key points from the discussion included the importance of reducing barriers to access, ensuring cultural relevance, and considering geographical equity. The discussion highlighted challenges such as language differences and the need for flexible, responsive educational environments.

Ralph Springett explained that scalability often involves moving to digital solutions and increasing the number of learners but noted financial constraints and equity concerns. Participants highlighted the importance of sharing resources and knowledge to enhance inclusivity and scalability.

Challenges such as funding sustainability, the tension between independence and reliance on external support, and the integration of new technologies like AI were also discussed.

FLANZ survey results

Ralph Springett presented findings from a FLANZ survey on the same themes: inclusivity, scalability and sustainability within education. Key takeaways included the importance of sharing good practices, respecting time and resources for innovative work, and seeking mechanisms to scale local initiatives.

Online learning both supports and detracts, enabling scale while compromising learner support, including support for cultural and capability differences.

Some Government initiatives exist but are focussed on efficiency rather than sustainability or are a response to a past or immediate crisis.

Ralph encouraged participants to join ICDE and FLANZ to expand their networks, while Mark Nichols, the ICDE President and co-host of the 2025 World Conference, highlighted the conference’s keynotes and discussions on inclusive, scalable and sustainable education.

Global Advocacy Campaign – ICDE

ICDE 2025