Technology
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
1. Terminology
The Cook Islands Curriculum Framework defines “technology” (Tekinoroti) as “a planned process of applying knowledge, skills and resources to satisfy needs that arise in everyday life, create solutions to opportunities, and extend capabilities. It focuses on developing the student’s competence and confidence in understanding and using existing technologies to meet their daily needs and to cope with change and challenges”. According to the curriculum framework, “technology education helps to develop in students the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to function in a world of rapid technological change”. “Technology education will give students the opportunity to be informed and enable them to contribute to their society”.
The 2016-20 Cook Islands National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy defines ICT as “an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning”.
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
Constitution and laws: There is no national ICT or EdTech Act. The 1964 Constitution of the Cook Islands (as amended in 2004) does not make any reference to technology in education, or technology more broadly. Similarly, the 2012 Education Act makes no specific reference to education technology or ICT.
The 2019 Telecommunications Act provides for universal access services (including internet access) (Art. 96) and the universal access fund (Art. 98). The Cook Islands Telecommunications Principles aim to ensure that the people of the Cook Islands have access to universal service which entails the provision of affordable and equitable telecommunications and internet services to every individual or household on demand.
Policies, plans and strategies: There is no ICT in Education or EdTech Policy or Strategy. The 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy is the country’s general ICT Policy, that includes policy objectives related to education.
The 2019 Telecommunications Market Competition Policy includes objectives for enhancing ICT infrastructure to enable online learning.
The 2008-23 Learning for Life: Cook Islands Education Master Plan aims to develop strategies for distance education and isolated students.
The 2016-20 Te Kaveinga Nui National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) recognizes the importance of utilizing ICT to achieve national development goals, and has identified key strategies and actions to strengthen telecommunications infrastructure, increase quality and speed of telecommunications services and strengthen information systems to facilitate informed decision making.
Digital competency frameworks: There are certain core IT competency skills for teachers, while the 2010 Performance Development System for Cook Islands Teachers includes ICT standards, such as the ability to use available resources (including ICT) to support and enhance learning.
Changes occurred as a result of COVID-19: The government’s 2020 Learning During COVID-19 Policy and COVID-19 Education Response Framework were short-term strategies, with no reference to long-term changes due to the pandemic in the Cook Island education system or new policies published after the outbreak. When schools reopened, the Ministry of Education further extended precautionary measures in response to the changing COVID-19 landscape, with learning and teaching programs having embedded COVID-19, preparedness and alert level concepts across the curriculum during the school closures.
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.2.1. Technology infrastructure and digital capacity of schools
The 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy aims for all Cook Islanders to have “Universal Service Access to affordable, reliable, resilient, secure ICT”. One of the challenges identified by the Ministry of Education is ensuring all schools are appropriately resourced to take advantage of these opportunities and to provide the appropriate professional development to teachers to best employ ICT in their classrooms as an enabler of learning. The Information Technology and Communication (ITC) Division is responsible for ensuring that the Ministry complies with ICT statutory requirements and accountable in ensuring that “ICT infrastructure is robust, secure, stable, flexible, scalable, accessible, available and sustainable, and is measured against the ICT governance framework”.
In addition, one of the policy objectives of the 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy is for “Sustainable and Green ICT systems and infrastructure” and “Leveraging ICT for sustainable development” (including the education sector). This includes promoting and enabling reliable, resilient, and secure ICT infrastructure, supporting the use of ICT to monitor and respond to disasters, and promoting the use of environmentally friendly products and services. The 2017 Green Practices in Education Policy aims to ensure the development of sit specific green practices in all Cook Island schools and learning institutions. Moreover, one of the divisional accountabilities of the ITC Division of the Ministry of Education is to “develop, implement and monitor green IT strategies” and “implement a comprehensive, targeted, and sustainable communications strategy that supports the Ministry of Education’s vision and goals”.
Electricity: The 2021 Cook Islands Utilities Regulation Policy: Electricity, Water & Sewerage Services regulates the provision of electricity services in the Cook Islands, with a focus on licensing, technical and safety aspects of the regulation. As part of the community service obligations, the government aims for all Cook Islanders to have access to a certain basic level of utilities services (which include electricity) within a utility service network. The Minister may additionally determine that a licensed utility is required to provide a specified service within a specified area, or to a specified group of customers. There is no specific reference to schools.
The 1998 Energy Act (as amended in 2012) and 2006 Energy Regulations similarly make no reference to schools. The ITC Division is responsible for providing technical support for schools to procure, maintain and replace electronic equipment. There is no policy objective to increase access to electricity in schools.
Computers and devices: The Ministry of Education has worked towards “ICT integration” in the school system, providing an increased range of electronic devices for use in schools (including netbooks and tablets), and free access to Microsoft updates for all students to own devices.
Internet connectivity: The ITC Division of the Ministry is responsible for ensuring that all Cook Island schools are inter-connected through the School Net, managing school internet connections, and increasing intranet services. Moreover, the Division works towards ensuring the protection of confidentiality, availability, and integrity of the network through developing a backup and disaster recovery plan. The 2016-20 Te Kaveinga Nui National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) aims to improve ICT connectivity (broadband connectivity), which ”represents educational and economic opportunities”. The 2019 Telecommunications Act provides for universal access to the internet (Art. 96), although there is no explicit mention of schools.
2.2.2. Technology and learning environments
Technology has been historically utilised in the Cook Islands to increase education access to isolated students in the outer islands (Pa Enua) and the Northern group, which is supported in numerous policies. One of the priorities identified in the 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy is improving connectivity and providing online learning to isolated students living in the Pa Enua. According to the policy, the “Cook Islands Government is convinced that ICT is fundamentally important to this nation as a means of bridging the disadvantages of distance”. Specifically, “citizens living in the Pa Enua have the most to gain from having access to information and service online. To do this they must have improved access to computers and other digital devices, broadband, training and education”. One of the policy objectives is therefore to “improve ICT access and connectivity to people living in the Pa Enua to raise their standard of living”. The 2011 Inclusive Education Policy recognizes that some children in the Cook Islands have been disadvantaged by their geographical location, especially children in the outer islands and living in the northern group. They are considered learners with special education needs or at risk and addressed accordingly. The 2008-23 Education Master Plan aims to improve education services and infrastructure, especially for those attending distance learning schools, such as students in the Pa Enua at secondary education level. Similarly, the 2016 Equity, Access and Participation Policy aims to identify and mitigate the barriers to education participation for isolated learners, by ensuring the “strategies are in place for distance education, isolated students, second chance learning and continuing and adult education”.
Correspondence School programs from New Zealand had historically been utilised for students in significantly isolated schools in the Northern islands. However, due to limitations in the availability of learning materials, timeliness of transport, and low success and completion rates, the Ministry of Education launched the Te Kura Uira online learning school in 2014. This program allows teachers or tutors on the main island to teach groups of students on multiple other islands simultaneously through the use of audio and video conferencing (with the support of an on-island person). This program supports students to stay on their home island until Year 11 when they may also shift to Rarotonga to complete study. These students attend the local school and are part of the school community but do most of their lessons on-line with Rarotonga based tutors.
The short-term 2020 Learning During COVID-19 Policy provides schools, students, teachers, and parents with detailed guidelines for home education during the COVID-19 outbreak (depending on different scenarios), which includes isolated teaching models, online learning resources, and online platforms. The Ministry of Education also developed the COVID-19 Education Response Framework.
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
2.3.1. Learners
The 2017-21 Cook Islands National Policy Framework for Children recognizes that “technology development offers opportunities for transforming teaching, learning and assessment, and delivering education, particularly to the pa enua”, aiming for the integration of technology into learning. Similarly, the 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy supports the “transformative use of IT in education and develop information literacy in young people”, with ICT being viewed as an “enabling tool for achieving quality educational outcomes”. The policy aims to ensure that all citizens can develop the necessary information and computer skills to effectively utilize ICTs.
The Cook Islands Curriculum Framework specifically aims to develop students’ technological and vocational knowledge and skills to live and work in the modern world “of rapid technological change”, mainly referring to the development digital skills. As part of communication skills, the framework aims to develop student competencies in using a range of new information and communication technologies and, as part of information skills, using a range of information-retrieval and information-processing technologies confidently and competently. The subject of Technology is also included as part of the curriculum in the Cook Islands Education Guidelines.
According to the Ministry of Education, ICT will also be increasingly integrated across learning (and not just as a subject), also referring to the development of basic skills (which are noticeable in the area of assistive technologies).
STEM subjects are highlighted in the Cook Islands Curriculum Framework but there is no policy on increasing STEM subjects with a gender component. The 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy aims to improve ICT access to all Cook Island citizens, regardless of gender. The 2016 Equity, Access and Participation Policy supports “greater gender equity in all forms of education”, with the production of appropriate, culturally sensitive, and gender inclusive/balanced resources. However, the policy does not explicitly mention the use of technology. The Women in Science and Technology program is an example of an initiative implemented to create opportunities for exchange between young women at school to meet women working in science and technology.
2.3.2. Teachers
The ITC Division is responsible for providing basic training to education staff in ICT literacy, which includes the provision of training opportunities to raise school community levels in ICT literary, training first line support personnel in schools, training staff in student information systems, and providing training on websites for the education sector. All teachers must have certain core IT competency skills in the classroom. Moreover, one of the responsibilities of the ITC Division is the development of an annual ICT professional development plan and register for teachers. ICT is also used to provide professional development to Pa Enua teachers, while all staff are trained in technology integration in the classroom.
2.4. Cybersecurity and safety
The 2016-20 Cook Islands National ICT Policy acknowledges the country’s increasing reliance on technology that will draw “growing threats and risks to safety; cyber-crime, e-waste and security”. The policy aims to protect all Cook Islanders against cybersecurity threats through appropriate cyber legislations and regulatory controls to “ensure a safe and just society”. The development of cybersecurity in schools is the responsibility of the ITC Division. Moreover, the 2017-21 Cook Islands National Policy Framework for Children aims to “strengthen regulatory frameworks in order to protect citizens’ rights relating to computer and cybercrime, right to information, intellectual property rights, and vulnerable groups from exploitation” and “create a safe, secure, and enabling environment for ICT development”. This is planned to be achieved through collaboration with relevant stakeholders and developing a multi-stakeholder approach.
2.4.1. Data privacy
The ITC Division is tasked with ensuring the protection of confidentiality of the school network.
2.4.2. Online abuse and cyberbullying
The 2017-21 Cook Islands National Policy Framework for Children identifies young people as a vulnerable group and aims to equip them with “relevant knowledge and skills to protect themselves against cyberbullying, online predators, phishing attacks and other online threats” as a priority.
3. Governance
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
The Ministry of Education is responsible for the development of ICT in education through the Information Technology and Communication (ITC) Division. The ITC Division is specifically responsible for technology infrastructure development and support, online education (Te Kura Uira), ICT teacher training, pedagogy development in ICT, and all e-learning services.
The Office of the Prime Minister also has an Information Communication Technology Division, which provides security oversight in IT infrastructure, capacity building for IT technicians, and ICT policy and plan development.
3.2. Roles of schools
There is no ban on the use of mobile devices in classrooms in the Cook Islands.
