 The Majuro Cooperative School Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges P.O. Box 81, Majuro, MH 96960 Telephone (692) 625-3144 Facsimile (692) 625-3719 e-mail: coopschl@ntamar.net |
The Majuro Cooperative School: A unique experience in education
Majuro Cooperative School (MCS or "Co-op" as it is often called) is a private, secular school educating students in grades pre-K through 8th. The school's campus is located on the southeast corner of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The estimated 2007 population of the Marshall Islands is 53,000 with nearly half that number living in Majuro.
The school was founded in 1975 by a small group of concerned parents who wanted to provide their children with a quality education. Co-op was first accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in March 1994. In April 1997, the school was awarded a 3-year extension of its term of accreditation. It was revisited again in March of 2000, obtaining another 3-year term of accreditation, which was subsequently extended for an additional two years through 2005, and then again through 2007. In July of 2007 the school was accredited for three years through to the summer of 2010.
Our Little United Nations
The school has grown significantly since its early days as a one teacher school with a single classroom. There are currently 227 students (about half boys and half girls) enrolled at Co-op, representing diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. The current ethnic/nationality makeup of the student body is very similar to what it was in the late 1990s. This is reflective of the fact that a consistently large number of Marshallese parents have chosen to send their children to Majuro Cooperative School because of its remarkable academic record.
The large percentage of Marshallese attending Co-op means that English is a second language for the majority of students. For the vast majority of Co-op students, even those who have one parent who is a first language English speaker, the language that they use with their family and friends is Marshallese, and English is used only at school. The need for strong English skills underlies the school's policy of starting English language instruction from the earliest grades in an effort to develop fluency in written and oral English among the students.
Nationality/Ethnic Background Marshallese Marshallese-American Marshallese-Kiribati Marshallese-Chinese Marshallese-New Zealand Marshallese-Pohnpeian Marshallese-Tongan Marshallese-Australian Marshallese-Filipino American-Fijian American-Kiribati American-Pohnpeian American Chinese/Taiwanese Chuukese-Pohnpeian Kiribati Filipino Australian Australian-Tuvaluan Solomon Islands Fijian Indian Korean Japanese Nauruan A significant challenge for the Marshall Islands is its transition from a rural, largely subsistence way of life to a highly urban, cash economy. Today, with more than 2/3 of the population living in the two major urban centers, cultural norms through the extended family system that governed the society for generations are breaking down.
Traditionally, the biological parents did not provide nearly as much "parenting" as in the Western world. Such responsibilities were often handled by grandparents or aunts and uncles in tight-knit extended family units. But in today's urban centers, families have become more nuclear in makeup. Thus, there are many young parents in Majuro who have little or no "parenting" experience and skill and who also lack the English language proficiency needed to encourage their children's studies.
The lack of parenting knowledge and experience is compounded by the fact that close to 20% of all births each year in the Marshall Islands are to teenagers. This has led to noticeable problems in the urban centers. Lack of supervision results in a lack of discipline and established limits for children, and increasing anti-social behavior among teenagers has led to the formation of neighborhood gangs and violence that was virtually non-existent ten years ago.
Despite these increasing social problems relating to young people and their parents, children generally respond very positively to authority and the setting of limits. This is the case at the Majuro Cooperative School, which implements a school discipline policy that is delineated in the School Handbook. In an effort to improve the conduct of students for the 2003-2004 school year, the school expanded the discipline policy in the Handbook in order to reinforce the procedures for insuring an acceptable standard of behavior.
In recent years there has been a more focused effort by the government of the Marshall Islands to improve education standards in the country in general and in public schools in particular. Poor academic achievement in many public schools, as documented through a variety of independent evaluations and student tests, resulted in many parents turning to private schools in an effort to provide a quality education for their children. The government's focus on education improvements and frank acknowledgment of the problems in the last four years has helped raise the awareness of and demand for quality education in the community.
This has had a positive impact on Majuro Cooperative School in several ways. The Ministry of Education provides funding to private schools through an Aid to Private Schools budget allocation. Prior to 2000, the allocation of funding to each school was based almost entirely on enrollment. The Ministry has in the past several years modestly increased the portion of the funding to each school that is based on performance (on the annual high school entrance examination and accreditation). With the Ministry turning to performance based budgeting, there is discussion about a significantly higher percentage of Aid to Private Schools being devoted to performance, which will benefit Co-op School.
In addition, the Ministry increasingly recognizes the contribution of private schools to education in the Marshall Islands, and involves Co-op (and other private schools) in workshops and various collaborative educational programs that benefit our staff. Finally, the higher profile attained by education in the past several years has stimulated a greater appreciation among rank and file Marshall Islanders of the importance of a quality education. This has benefitted Co-op School by helping to stimulate continuing strong enrollment, particularly in the early grades, by a very diverse group of parents who view the school as an opportunity for their children to attain a strong start to their academic careers.
The Marshall Islands high school entrance examination for 8th graders is the only standardized test given to both public and private school students. Students who score high enough to make the cutoff, determined by the total number of 9th graders who can be accommodated by the four public high schools in the Marshall Islands, are eligible to attend those schools. Parents understand that a strong elementary education enhances a student's chances to pass the high school test, and the community is aware that Co-op provides such a foundation.
From 1997 through 2003, 114 Co-op School 8th graders took the high school entrance examination. Of those 114, 111 (97 percent) passed with scores high enough to qualify for public high schools in the Marshall Islands. This has placed Co-op consistently in the top five schools (virtually all private) in the "average test score" category. In addition, during this period Majuro Cooperative School students have attained an average test score ranging from 23 to 34 percent above the national average.
The average annual income in the Marshall Islands is about $4,000 per year according to Marshall Islands government statistics. Recent estimates of unemployment are high at over 30%. A recent study conducted by the government's Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office concluded that there had been almost no new jobs created in the Marshall Islands between 1988 and 2000. Because public and private high schools combined cannot accommodate all graduating 8th graders, approximately 1/3 of the 1,300 8th grade graduates are unable to continue their education each year. The demand for education from high school dropouts is so intense that the Adult Education program at the College of the Marshall Islands has a waiting list of more than 600 prospective students.
Annual tuition at Majuro Cooperative School for the 2007-2008 school year is $1750 + book and testing fees for grades K through 8th (it is slightly lower for the two levels of pre-K, which provide instruction limited to half days). The school's Board of Directors has frequently wrestled with the issue of the amount of tuition, attempting to strike a balance between school needs and parents’ ability to pay.
Majuro Cooperative School has the highest tuition of any private school in the Marshall Islands. Nevertheless, its current level allows many Marshall Islanders with modest income levels to send their children to the school.
English is the medium of instruction with specialty courses in Marshallese culture and language. Teaching staff in the 2007-2008 school year are from the United States, Fiji, and the Marshall Islands. The teaching staff brings together a unique collection of instructors with a wide range of academic training and experience. Because Marshallese see the value of strong English speaking and writing skills for their children, there is widespread support for the hiring of native English speaking teachers from off-island because of the perception that this translates directly into stronger English ability and fluency. The school's overseas recruitment also reflects the fact that there are few Marshallese teachers who have attained a B.A. or teaching certificate, and the few that have are mostly in the public school system.
The Majuro Cooperative School Board and the MCS PTA have decided to move forward with a 9th grade class beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. It is our hope that this initial step will eventually lead to a complete--grades 9 to 12--WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited high school in the future--should we be able to secure the necessary funding. So far the Japanese government has contributed $85, 503 from their Grassroots Grant Program (see below).
To donate to this much needed project for the children of the Marshall Islands, please click on the "click to donate" icon at left.CO-OP HISTORY:
HIGH SCHOOL!
Majuro Cooperative School broke ground on March 10, 2008, to build two new classrooms for its middle school and the first 9th class in the school's history. The high school will eventually expand to 12th grade during the years of 2008-2011. The building will house a new classroom and a science lab for Coop's upper grades. Students look on as Principal Kathy Stratte, Co-op Vice President Jack Niedenthal, eighth grade Class President Anthony Reyes, Japan Embassy Charge d'Affairs Dr. Kazuyuki Ohdaira and Hideyuki Shiozawa along with building contractor and Board member Scott Howe, 'dig-in'.Japan's Grassroots Grant program is providing $84,503 for the effort.
Download the Majuro Cooperative School SCHEDULE OF TUITION AND FEES FOR THE 2008-2009 school year in .PDF
2008-2009 Majuro Cooperative School Parent Handbook & Calendar in .PDF
NEW: Download the Majuro Cooperative School CALENDAR FOR THE 2008-2009 school year in .PDF
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