2011 Inaugural Address By The Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal ...

We are committed to continuing this reform effort to make further improvementsto our governmental structures over the next four years. Down-sizing thegovernment is very difficult indeed, yet it must be undertaken in order to gainefficiency, reduce costs and channel limited funding resources to priorityprograms that our citizens desperately need. We must strive to live within ourmeans while we also develop the private sector and create jobs.In the context of this government reform, the Administration has worked, and willcontinue to work, to revamp policies to redesign public sector investment,especially in Education, where we spend more than 30% of our total staterevenues. To date, we surely have not made the required advances in educationto ensure jobs for our youth in the future. In fact, in some areas, we havebacktracked. To progress, we must immediately work to establish the groundworkfor future improvement. And let us do so in full recognition that education is ajoint responsibility between the state and national governments – but let us all doour part.This administration will continue to take the necessary steps within our areas ofresponsibility: setting policy and curriculum standards, facilitating teachercertification, providing classrooms, and working with the school communitiesthroughout Yap. And we urge the FSM National Government to undertake itsrespective responsibilities in providing good quality education to our children.14