A/HRC/61/49/Add.2 55. The legal and policy framework to integrate more local and culturally appropriate content in education already exists. Strengthening cultural education is one of the four pillars of the national education sector strategic plan, encompassing instruction in languages and local knowledge and practices. Each State Department of Education can adjust the national minimum curriculum standards to suit their own context.7 56. Some initiatives to include Micronesian elements in the curricula have started to emerge, many as projects supported by foreign funds, such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community or the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Kosrae elders have been involved by the Department of Education in transmitting traditional knowledge and stories in schools. In Yap, a state policy could be established to recognize two elders from the community, one man and one woman, as cultural teachers. However, in Pohnpei, cultural educators, who are not certified teachers, cannot be included on the payroll of the Department without a change in the law. In Pohnpei, educational materials have recently been developed for grades 3–8 of elementary education in local languages and included in curricula 13 topics, such as local history, carving, canoe-making, weave baskets, husk coconuts, dances and traditional garments. These should serve as basis and be adapted for further use. The staff and resources necessary to effect the decolonization of education must be integrated into the annual state education budget, so all Micronesians students can benefit. Public authorities at all levels must bring important political will and consistency to the issue. 57. Knowledge about oneself must of course not isolate Micronesians from the rest of the world, so teachings about human rights, gender and ethnic equality, citizenship, the Constitution and the governmental apparatus should also be integrated into the curriculum, to provide openings and bridges for others. Education must also produce confident Micronesians with critical skills who will bravely shape the future of the country’s societies. The Department of Education should also continue its participatory discussion on mainstreaming disability sensitivity and basic skills through the education system. 58. The areas of study in tertiary education should open up perspectives for Micronesian young persons to stay in the country or to return to it and equip them with sets of skills adapted to island life. The College of Micronesia already offers courses in Micronesian studies and business administration and trains future teachers who will be able to participate in the decolonization of education. In the context of climate change, some tertiary education courses could be aimed at sustainable marine management and resource administration, building on traditional methodologies and approaches. The Special Rapporteur agreed with the College’s emphasis on developing cooperation and complementarity with neighbouring countries, exploring the possibility of offering digital courses and shared programmes with other island countries, such as the online college of the Marine Science Programme. These options can greatly increase the possibilities for students to complete their tertiary studies, fully or in part, from their island. In Tonoas, the newly opened digital hub would have the facilities to make this a reality, which would represent an important alternative to Micronesian students’ high dependency on foreign money for scholarships to study abroad. 59. The Special Rapporteur also commends the role of Pohnpei Public Library in providing support to schools that do not have librarians, keeping resources for teaching Indigenous languages and contributing to cultural education by organizing the public reading of stories with local storytellers. With its 20,000 books and good Wi-Fi connection, the library plays an important role as a third space for informal and continuous learning, which inhabitants appreciate and use. E. Participation in cultural life 60. Public authorities have the responsibility to provide the conditions and the space for every Micronesian to exercise their right to take part in cultural life fully. Ensuring this right 7 12 For example, under title 22 of the Pohnpei Historic and Cultural Act of 2002, a Historic and Cultural Preservation Review Board was established, which has a responsibility, among others, to “advise, review and comment upon educational programs that inform the public on the value and significance of historic properties and the importance of preserving the historical and cultural attributes of Pohnpei, including the use of historical materials for educational and scientific purposes”. GE.26-01464