Education
Education is one of the government's top priorities. Nearly 50,000 pupils attend school every day, taught by some 5,300 teachers. Under French law, schooling is compulsory up to the age of 16.
Nursery schools and elementary school are generally available to all pupils, even on the smaller islands, but for some islanders, middle school is already a difficult step. While education in Tahiti is easily accessible from kindergarten to university, an island of just 200 inhabitants unfortunately can't do the same. Sixth-graders from the Tuamotus are therefore starting to board at the collèges in Rangiroa or Hao, while those from the Australs are heading for Rurutu or Tubuai.
High schools are only established on the larger islands, such as the Leeward Islands and Nuku-Hiva. As for higher education, the French University of the Pacific in Tahiti, founded in 1987 and autonomous since 1999, brings together some 3,000 students from all over the Territory. However, since it only offers general courses (law-economics-management, literature, languages and humanities, sciences, medical sciences, technologies, etc.), students - considered a privileged category of the population - have to migrate to France or the United States to pursue more advanced studies.
This not only raises the issue of resources, but also that of the school as an institution in the local culture. Long rejected for its imperialism and lack of practical involvement, forcing children to leave their parents in order to learn, school is now becoming a way of life. The new powers acquired by the Territory now enable it to offer programs more suited to Polynesia, with the State retaining only higher education.
Schools focusing on the fishing, craft, pearl farming, tourism and hotel industries have opened their doors to meet the needs of these growing sectors.
Family
The social structure is solid, and the family is the most important thing in the hearts of Polynesians. In fact, they form just one big family, with a great-great-aunt or little cousin at every end of the beach. All islanders have at least one fetii in Papeete - a member of the extended family - who can welcome and help them in such a big city.
In some cases, up to a dozen families live under the same roof, sharing their resources so that they can live a real family life together, albeit without any real intimacy. Money problems? But not only that. French Polynesia is already as vast as Europe, and the big countries and continents are so far away... You'll certainly be surprised at the number of people who don't realize the size of a city: you'll often be asked if you know so-and-so who lives in Paris. You don't? But you live in Paris!
Wedding
Traditional Polynesian weddings are highly renowned. Flower necklaces, champagne, dance performances, a pirogue ride at sunset and a romantic wedding night in a bungalow on stilts: nothing is missing from the magic of this lifelong commitment. Many top hotels (Intercontinental and Méridien in particular), as well as Moorea's Tiki Village, organize these ceremonies for newlyweds. Polynesia is one of the world's leading honeymoon destinations, especially for the Japanese.
As far as formalities are concerned, this marriage has no legal value. You can, however, get married under French law, by going to the town hall a few hours before the ceremony. Please note, however, that you must have been resident in France for at least one month.
Habitat
The housing situation is generally good. The miserable farés of tin and bric-a-brac are becoming fewer and fewer, and although still too many, there are only a dozen or so homeless people in Papeete. Family solidarity is still strong and the social system well developed. The government refuses to move towards a welfare society, having refused the RMI and then the RSA, for example, but Polynesians are still able to cultivate the land and take advantage of nature to meet their needs. Islanders build their farés with natural materials, but the government is multiplying aid to build them in concrete. Social housing often takes the form of MTR farés, made of lightweight materials that nevertheless meet anti-cyclonic standards.
However, it is in Tahiti, in the disadvantaged valleys of Faa'a, Punaauia and Arue, that the situation continues to give cause for concern. Efforts are being made by the government to ensure a more livable social situation, but there are also political implications, as the underprivileged neighborhoods are more inclined towards independence than the inhabitants of the heights and luxury villas. Everywhere in Polynesia, the population has access to running water, electricity, sewage disposal, telephone installation and, increasingly, the Internet, but it has to be said that Papeete has been completely rebuilt in recent years, and nothing has been done for the underprivileged areas.
Work
Polynesians can find employment in a number of sectors. Those who don't work in Papeete are drawn to pearl farming, fishing, copra harvesting and tourism. The hotel sector today welcomes a good number of locals to offer a Polynesian welcome to its visitors, notably through frank and warm smiles. Since 2018, Polynesia's unemployment rate has fallen significantly to 8.5% (2023), but there is still a severe shortage of qualified personnel. All mainlanders who dream of coming to work in Polynesia will therefore have their chance if they meet this characteristic, but should also be aware that the cost of living is very expensive, both in terms of food and housing. A salary doubled in Polynesia doesn't mean a better way of life, other than to move along enchanting landscapes.
