MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS – February 16, 2026 – H.E. President Hilda C. Heine ekar kopelok makitkit ko an Education Week 2026 ilo an kar boktok enaan eo elap jen Kien eo ilo Opening Ceremony eo im ear kamman ilo ECC.
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Keynote Address by H.E. Hilda C. Heine
Education Week 2026 Opening Ceremony
Theme/Unin Tōl: WŌDEN KAN̄ŌL
(The natural attraction of corals to all forms of sea life)
Monday, February 16, 2026 | ECC
Iakwe komean rijikuul ran.
Mokta jen ao bok jidik kwonao ilo program aurokrok in ilo jippon in rainin, ikonan moktata lelok kile im kammolol nan Jemed ilan kin joij im onaake eo an nan kijwoj kajojo, nan aelon kein ad.
Ikonan kile:
Ritol ro ad ilo manit, Chairman Lanny Kabua, Vice-Chairman Farrend Zackious, kab Irooj ro im Leiroj ro ilo Mweo Imwon Irooj; koba owner eo;
Juon kile eo ejenoklok nan Lerooj Ester kab Irooj im Lerooj ro jet aer Aelon in – Majuro in kojwoj ej pad ie ilo iien in;
Cabinet member ro im ro karejarair;
Honorable Speaker Brenson Wase, Vice-Speaker Isaac Zackhras, im aolep ri-kwelok ro ilo Nitijela eo, ekoba ro karjaraior;
Rikaki ro Jemed; Kamoolol Reverend Lemae eo ear boktok jar in kopellok eo ad ilo jibbonin rainin; Kile aolep Rikaki ro ibellakin Aelon kein, korain Rikaki ro;
Chief Justice eo im aolep judge ro ad ilo Imon Ekajet ko ad ilo belaak ko aolep ilo Aelon Kein;
Chief Secretary eo, Chairman eo im ro ilo Public Service Commission eo;
Ro ilo Diplomatic Corps eo, ekoba rein raar maron kobatok tok ibbed elkin raellepen rainin;
Ministry eo Education im Public Service System eo, elaptata Minister Gerald Zackios, Commissioner Natalie Nimmer, im aolepen ro mottaer ilo PSS, ekoba Organizing Committee an Education Week yio in;
Local government ko kajojo, bareinwot;
Komean rijikuul ran, kile komean im jinemi im jememi, rikaki ro, aolep ro rej bok kunaer ilo week in; Jemaron ke lelok juon kabokbok nan rijikuul rein. Kamoolol kin iien in.
Einwot amian Unin tōl eo an wiik in ej: WŌDEN KAN̄ŌL. Wonne ejela melelein kanol?
Elap an ṃwilaḷ im depakpak meḷeḷein unin tōl in an wiik in. Im ej kwaḷọk kōn kajoor eo an wōd ko lọjet nan aer maroñ kañōl ak attract elōñ kain eek kab menin mour ko jet ilo lọjet, bwe ren mona im bareinwot ejmour. Āinwōt an wōd kein maroñ kañōl tok menin mour, jej barāinwōt kōṇaan bwe jikuuḷ kein ad ren kañōl tok rijikuuḷ rein nejid ñan aer maroñ itok ñan ṃōn jikuuḷ kein ñan jitōk im bok jitdaṃ kapeel ipan rikaki ro. Pedped wōt ilo kōṇaan in bwe aolep rijikuuḷ ren ṃūlaḷ aer bōk katakin—ejjab jen bōk im kilaaj ruuṃ ko wōt—ak eḷapḷọk jān ṃaḷo ko ad āinwōt jet armej in Ṃajeḷ.
Lọjet eo ejjab jepooḷe wōt Aelōñ kein ad. Ak ej iiaḷ leplep eo ne. Ne ejelok lojet, eban jerak tima ko nan aelon ko ilikin nan boklok mona boklok mweiuk im boklok armej nan aelon ko. Emoj jej ba ialleplep eo ne – ej ijo jej bōk ad mour, ad jolet im ṃanit, im ej ilju im jekḷaj eo ad. Ej naajdik kōj. Ej katakin kōj. Ej kōjparok kōj. Kiō, eḷapḷọk jān ṃokta, Loṃaḷo in eḷap an aikuji jibañ eo ad.
Lowaan wiik in an Jeḷāḷọkjeṇ, rijikuuḷ rein nejid renej kōṃṃane jet project in STEM nan, “Kōjparok lọjet eo ad”. Rijikuuḷ rein renej bōk kuṇaer ilo jiāe jipeeḷ, jiāe bōnbōn, ikkure ko ikujeen social studies, jāie jiña ko im rej kwaḷọk kōn jiṃwe im maroñ ekoba eddo ko an armej, jiāe kōbọuwe ak men eo rej ba debate, barāinwōt karreoik peḷaak ko peḷaakier. Adean eddo kejbarok im karreoki pelak ko pelaakid, ejab melelein ion ene emora wot ako bareinwot lojet. Ad eddo bwe jen kejbaroke im jenjab jokbej nan lojet bwe enej mej wod ko im mej menin edok ko ilo lojet. Emoj adean eddo men in.
Eḷap aō ṃōṇōṇō in loe jerbal in ippen ippān doon ko ikōtaan aolep doulul ko an jikin jelalokijen ekoba rein mottad jen diplomatic corp eo, im eḷaptata rikaki kab partner ro ilo jukjuk in ped in ad. Jeḷāḷọkjeṇ ekajoor ilo ad jerbal ippān doon.
Rijikuuḷ raṇ: wiik in ej ami. Katak ippān doon. Kōṃṃan kajjitōk. Jiāe ilo ṃool im ilo jiṃwe. Bōk ami iien im wōnṃaaḷok kōn katak ko rej pojān bōk jikier iloan wiik in. Kōjparok laḷin ad im ej ad jolet jān eo rikōṃanṃan.
Rikaki ro im Ritel ro an jikuuḷ: Koṃij āinwōt wōd ko ad lọjet. Jerbal ko ami rej kañōl tōk rijikuul rein nejid ñan aer bōk katakin ko rijiṃwe im jejjet.
Ṃaṃa im baba im jukjuk in ped kein ad: jerbal kein ami eḷap jen joñan aer aorōk. Jeḷāḷọkjeṇ ej ijjino ilo ṃoko, iṃwōn jar ko, peḷaak ko peḷaakid, im barāinwōt ilo iṃwōn jikuuḷ ko kajojo.
Āinwōt juon eo im ej eddoik jerbal kein an laḷ in ad, ij kōkāāl an kien eo ioḷap kalliṃur ñan iuun ṃaanḷọk Jeḷāḷọkjeṇ eo ej pedped wot ilo kapeel ko ad make. Āinwōt ilo jerbal in ejerakrōk kōjwōj jiṃor aikuj kepooj ajri rein nejid ñan aer maroñ ribuk meto in im jelṃae ukooktak ko rej bōk jikier ilo aelōñ kein ad im laḷ ko jet.
Wiik in an Jeḷāḷọkjeṇ en kōketak eok.
En kōkajoorḷọk jerbal in kōjparok peḷaak ko peḷaakid.
Eḷaptata en kolḷapḷọk an utiej buruwọd kōn Aeloñ jiddik kein ad.
Im jabōñ kōnaan in “Wōden Kañōl!” en kakemejmej kōj ñan kakūjñeñe ekkal in pedped in mour kein ad kajojo—āinwōt wōd ko lọjet—ippān doon enej bōktok kajoor, jeraṃṃan, im ineṃṃan ñan laḷ in ad.
Inej boktok jidik ilo kajin palle nan rein mottad im rejab melele kajin in ad.
This year’s theme, “Wōden Kañōl!”, reminds us of the natural attraction of coral to all forms of sea life. Just as coral draws life toward it, we want our schools to draw our children toward knowledge, curiosity, purpose, and responsibility. We want our students to be deeply connected—not only to books and classrooms—but to our lagoon, our ocean, and our identity as Marshallese people.
The ocean is not just water surrounding our islands. It is our highway, our pantry, our history, our culture, and our future. It feeds us. It teaches us. It sustains us. And now, more than ever, it needs us.
Throughout this week, our students will engage in STEM challenges called “Protect Our Ocean” and “Save the Ocean”. They will participate in bilingual spelling bees, math competitions, social studies jeopardy, art competitions linking human rights and responsibilities, national debates, and ocean campaigns. These activities are preparing you students for leadership as we protect, steward, and leverage our ocean resources.
To our students: this week is for you. Learn boldly. Ask questions. Compete with integrity. Think critically. Protect what God has entrusted to us.
To our teachers and school leaders: you are the coral. Your daily dedication attracts young minds toward excellence. Kommol tata for your tireless service.
To our parents and communities: your involvement matters. Education lives in our homes, our churches, our environment, and on school campuses.
As President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, I reaffirm our national commitment to education that honors who we are as a seafaring people while preparing our youth to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Let this week inspire innovation.
Let it strengthen stewardship.
Let it deepen pride in our islands.
And may “Wōden Kañōl!” remind us that when we build strong foundations—like coral—life will gather, flourish, and endure.
With that, it is my honor to officially declare Education Week 2026 open.
