Technical and vocational education and training programs as a form of peace education are examined in this paper. It explores the notion of educating for a culture of peace through refocusing technical and vocational education and training programs on sustainable community development in the Solomon Islands. It further highlights the policy and practice mechanisms that contribute to advancing technical and vocational education and training as a peace education initiative. As a model of the applicability of the program as a form of peace education, the discussion describes a technical and vocational education and training centre in the Solomon Islands that has engaged in post-conflict livelihood projects – bringing about healing and restoration and creating the culture of peace. This is a practical and comprehensive model to peace education that extends beyond the centre and embraces the culture of peace in the community as a whole. The implications point to technical and vocational education and training as a means to achieve co-existence. Technical and vocational education and training as a form of peace education is capable of training people for a productive livelihood, creating a sense of national identity and unity, rehabilitating former militants and moving training programs outside the walls of the institutions. As a result, the pedagogy of technical and vocational education and training as a form of peace education is largely based on learning by doing which incorporates a number of peace activities.

This study investigates household livelihood in Solomon Islands urban squatter settlements. A total of 208 households participated in this empirical study. Most of the squatter households fall into the category of 3 to 7 members (59.1%) with average household size of 6.3. Seventy percent of the settlers live in temporary buildings or shelter and are lacking proper water and sanitation. Majority of the households, (96.6%) do not have electricity in their homes. The average fortnightly income of the households is SI$316. The implications derived from the findings include national policy makers need to consider financing for low cost housing for the poor urban residents, improve and adequately resource the rural schools to lure squatter settlers back to the rural areas, the government should consider giving an education subsidy to low income parents who have more than two children attending schools and civil society organisations and government departments need to conduct life-skills courses that could encourage low settlers to diversify their livelihood activities. The discussion concludes with the concept of education as a form of secure livelihood.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the pathways to greater participatory approach in school governance as an element of development and post-conflict reconstruction. Although participation in school governance is meant to produce multiple benefits for school and society, it may not be achieved without establishing the tenets for reconciliation and peace. Therefore, the article begins by examining the pathways to establishing reconciliation and peace which is important to any post-conflict reconstruction initiative. Secondly, so much reliance on participatory governance in the absence of accountability may aggravate rather than diminish the social divisions that are particularly dangerous in post-conflict reconstruction. Hence, it is crucially inseparable to integrate teaching and learning-based accountability in post-conflict governance of schools. The paper proposes that as a development and post-conflict reconstruction tool, school governance should be premised on broader participation, including the excluded.