Tout Le Monde a Sa Place? MIRAB, Education, and Society in Wallis and Futuna

Abstract

Wallis and Futuna officially became a ‘Sub-National Island Jurisdiction’ (known as French Overseas Territory/Collectivity) in 1961 and has since adopted an economic and political structure consistent with the MIgration, Remittances, Aid, and Bureaucracy (MIRAB) model. Although the MIRAB economy has been stable, the rapid increase in migration for higher education of the younger population since the turn of the century raises questions concerning the role of education within this structure. A qualitative study discovered that education should be regarded as a key component in the MIRAB economy of the territory. Firstly, education has provided a new population outlet as young people have chosen opportunities for higher education and training overseas. Secondly, migration for education has revealed social dimensions within the model, as access to education overseas has simultaneously sustained the bureaucratic elite but has also enabled customary classes to negotiate their power and maintain a hold on the process of change. Finally, education has potentially reduced the pressure of remittances, as some qualified graduates are able to return and access high wage employment locally.